Seretse at war with State, bank
Mpho Mokwape | Tuesday September 6, 2022 06:00
Seretse, together with his companies, had won a long battle against the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to retain his forfeited assets.
The legal tussle was the State’s final attempt to recover some of the monies in the alleged missing P230 million that belonged to the National Petroleum Fund (NPF).
Following the CoA ruling around May, the embattled businessman’s victory was short-lived as the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) pounced on him for unpaid taxes.
Through the move, the BURS took all the funds amounting to P67,734,260 that the State had been holding saying it was due to tax while there is little said about other properties.
The same amount and properties including land and cars have been held by the State’s Receiver and were supposed to be released following the court order. Now Seretse is crying foul after what seemed like BURS is hounding him.
A letter dated September 1 from BURS addressed to one of his companies, Khulaco, indicates that Seretse is once again reminded of his tax returns, failure to which penalties would be imposed.
“Reference is made to our letter dated May 4, 2022, and the meeting held in our offices on June 20 and August 23, 2022. You are once more reminded to register for Value Added Tax (VAT) with immediate effect.
Failure to register will attract a penalty equal to double the amount of output tax payable from the time you were liable to register until you file an application for registration with the Commissioner General,” reads the letter.
In another letter also addressed to Seretse and his company, BURS is requesting to be furnished with his outstanding returns for the years 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 and is required to furnish the information within seven days from receipt of the notice. Bank Gaborone on one hand is auctioning Seretse’s property. In a notice of sale in execution dated August 31, the sale would be carried out on October 18 following a legal matter between the bank, Seretse, and his company, Basis Points.
According to the sale of execution notice, the following property will go under the hammer, Basis Points’ right, title and interest on a certain piece of land in Extension 11 with developments being: *Main house; three-bedroom fitted with build-in cupboards all en-suite, fitted kitchen, sitting room, scullery, gym room having toilet and washbasin.
*Guest wing; two-bedroom both fitted cupboards, common shower with wash hand basin, attached double garage fitted with cupboards and carports for two cars. *Bar building; lounge, bar area fitted with base and wall units, toilet, fitted kitchen and wash hand basin, paved yard, swimming pool, walled with electric fence and motorised gate.
Meanwhile, in all this, Seretse says he is not going down without a fight. The resilient businessman told The Monitor that he is opposing the sale of his house and what BURS is doing to him and his businesses. “Definitely, we are opposing. It is illegal what they are doing and the procedural order they have needs to be set aside," he said.