Permanent Representative to the UN, New York Lebohang Fine Maema of Lesotho

Lebohang Fine Maema is the Ambassador to the United Nations for Lesotho.

Maema was Lecturer-in-Law at the National University of Lesotho, Roma.

Maema has a Master of Laws from Cambridge University, United Kingdom, and a Bachelor of Laws from the National University of Lesotho.

July 21, 2004 Johannesburg - Lesotho would pursue bribery cases against multinationals on one of the world's biggest dam projects despite the lack of foreign support, attorney-general Lebohang Fine Maema said on Monday.

Maema said Lesotho had asked donor countries and the World Bank for help in funding investigations, saying the lawsuits were a huge financial drain on an impoverished kingdom of only 2 million people.

Maema said further discussions had been held with South Africa on the issue of financial aid.

Maema said prosecutors would continue working on the case, which has already seen charges lodged against a dozen local and foreign firms, including from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Panama and Sweden.

Maema said Lesotho was awaiting the results of a World Bank corruption inquiry launched last month into Canadian company Acres International, to see if it would be blacklisted by the international agency.

Maema said the tiny kingdom - hailed for its battle against corporate graft - had been largely fighting alone, despite pledges of financial support from developed countries.