A long wait for Morupisi, wife verdict

Mpho Mokwape | Monday June 13, 2022 06:00

The much-anticipated verdict has been postponed for the third time in a row without much light shed on the development. On Tuesday this week, it was hoped that finally the verdict would be read, but there was another postponement with nothing much said, except that the presiding judge for the case, Chris Gabanagae was not available.

This is a case in which the accused persons are on trial for charges ranging from money laundering and abuse of office, relating to the use of funds belonging to the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF) for personal gain. That was at the time when the former PSP was the fund’s chairperson. The case was concluded last year December and the verdict was initially scheduled for May 3, 2022.

The case has now been postponed to 31st October,2022 and one wonders what could possibly be holding the judgement to take almost a year to be delivered.

The trial had attracted a lot of public interest and now it seems the public has completely forgotten as they have waited and waited to know what the fate awaits the duo.

However, while the public is irked by the delay in judgement delivery, it seems for Morupisi and the family is working completely fine for them because when they left the court, Tuesday, they appeared at ease and jovial.

Since the start of the trial, the duo has not shown emotions and they were often quick to leave the courtroom straight into their cars away from the public glare.

“The case has been postponed because they say the judge is not around and we had to wait to hear all that from another judge,” declared Morupisi.

The former PSP, who completely seemed unfazed by the media this time around, continued jokingly to ask one photographer what he wanted to do with his picture.

The duo and the family spent much time on the parking lot chit chatting, laughing and even had a little moment of taking pictures.

The accused persons were on a lengthy trial after being accused of using public funds in which Morupisi had allegedly purchased a Toyota Land Cruiser for his wife’s business with the funds diverted from BPOPF coffers.

The State, who are gunning for a conviction of the pair, said Morupisi laundered money between his account and a company called Manor Squad Services that purchased the disputed vehicle on his behalf.

The State further alleges that there were many transactions that happened between an account held by Morupisi and Manor Squad.

According to the description of the company, which was said to have received considerable amount from the BPOPF and Capital Management Botswana (CMB), Manor Squad is registered in South Africa and at the time of the alleged offences, one of its directors was Rapula Okaile, the former director of CMB.

“The company developed properties called Manor Gardens in Durban sometime in 2016 and this company according to the forensics received several transfers of money in millions from CMB in 2016 and that it received about seven transactions on different occasions from Morupisi’s account, of which the total amount was about P211,520.64 meant to pay for a Toyota Land Cruiser,” alleged the State.

The Cruiser was apparently purchased at a total of P630,988.99, alleged to be proceeds of crime, as it was funds from BPOPF and CMB.

In all these many transactions carried between all these accounts including those of BPOPF and CMB, Morupisi is alleged that while employed as the permanent secretary, he authorised CMB to administer the BPOPF funds as private equity managers and obtained valuable consideration for himself and his wife’s company.

He is accused of acting together with the wife in her personal capacity and as the director of R7 Group to receive a valuable consideration to wit the land cruiser for himself and his wife’s company.

Meanwhile, Morupisi has denied getting money from BPOPF and that there was paper trail as to how he was able to purchase the vehicle for his wife. He explained that there was absolutely nothing criminal that he did, and that he signed some papers only because he was obliged to sign the agreement on behalf of BPOPF in terms of the rules of the fund.

The accused persons say that the State’s case had been destined to fail from the beginning because it was built on wild and startling suspicions and also failure to handle exhibits properly. Judgement is expected on October 31, 2022.