No End In Sight For Mokgethi's Troubles
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday October 19, 2021 06:00
The aggrieved granddaughter of the late Abdulah Joseph has instituted a forensic audit on the estate Mokgethi handled. The court order had given her 30 days to account or answer to what happened to Joseph’s multimillion pula estate.
The 30 working days elapsed last month. “Yes, the time has elapsed. My attorney has received the report in two parts over the extension period she had sought; the request for an extension was not opposed. The attorney’s view is that the accounting falls far short of meeting the requirements of the Administration of the Estates Act.
I understand further action is reserved pending the outcome of the forensic examination which is underway,” the late Joseph's granddaughter, Dawn Masenya told The Monitor on Friday. Masenya wants to establish how her grandfather's estate and finances were shared and handled. This was after the Court of Appeal dismissed Mokgethi's application to reverse a High Court decision compelling her to give proper accounting records of Joseph’s estate.
The said estate is the subject of an intense court battle between Joseph’s alleged beneficiaries. The granddaughter of the late Joseph, whose estate is the subject of a court battle between the minister and Joseph’s surviving children, has accused the Law Society of Botswana (LSB) of ignoring her complaints about the politician’s conduct.
In a letter dated September 13, 2017, which she wrote from the United States of America where she is based, she accuses Mokgethi of "forging my signature in a transfer document (my grandfather had gifted me a small farm)". “I was not in the country on the date of the signatures. The police department and the Law Society of Botswana have not responded to my request to take action against Mokgethi," stated the letter Masenya had written to the LSB. She added: "In September 2017, I wrote a letter to yourselves with five attachments to which there is yet to be a response.
The attorney‘s integrity has been put into disrepute and the issues must be promptly resolved to give effect to the judgment". "I cannot help but I am concerned that the LSB is protecting its members against legitimate and pressing complaints.” Masenya had also complained that "...the attorney’s acts were based on blatant and gross dishonesty to attempt to evade the ultimate findings of the Court of Appeal".
According to court records, Joseph died on July 7, 2012, and Mokgethi was soon thereafter issued with a letter of administration of his estate. Joseph had drawn up a will about two years before his demise. This was executed by Mokgethi who was his attorney and was also named therein as the executrix of his estate.