Boko, BURS in aircraft stalemate

Boko's wings have been clipped PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG
Boko's wings have been clipped PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG

FRANCISTOWN: Pilots and legal representatives of a South African firm that recently leased two aircraft to the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) are reportedly saying that they did not break the law.

According to inside sources, the pilots argue that they did not breach any customs nor immigration regulations that might have led the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) to ground the two planes.

BURS seized the two aircraft, an Agusta 119 and a Beech 190 Wednesday that belong to Waleed Helicopter Services on suspicion that the pilots failed to comply with customs procedures. The UDC hired the chopper and the jet for use in preparation for 2019 general election campaign. To support their claim of not breaking the law, a source asserted: “The pilots maintain that they declared concerning the aircraft, its itinerary, the goods on board, any passenger and crew on board including the destination as specified by law. From the preliminary information we have gathered, it appears as if one pilot declared through a written communication while the other made a verbal declaration.”

Editor's Comment
Routine child vaccination imperative

The recent Vaccination Day in Motokwe, orchestrated through collaborative efforts between UNICEF, USAID, BRCS, and the Ministry of Health, underscores a commendable stride towards fortifying child health services.The painful reality as reflected by the Ministry of Health's data regarding the decline in routine immunisation coverage since the onset of the pandemic, is a cause for concern.It underscores the urgent need to address the...

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