Convicted Morupisi shockingly turns down mitigation
Sharon Mathala | Monday October 31, 2022 15:31
His lawyer, Busang Manewe had advised as the shocking development unfolded after Justice Chris Gabanagae, the High Court's presiding judge, found the once powerful man guilty on all three counts.
In a three-hour-long judegment reading, the judge further exonerated Morupisi’s wife, Pinny Morupisi on account that the judge feels there is no evidence to point out that she knew what her husband was up to. The judge found that Morupisi was acting on his own when he purchased the vehicle under her company’s name.
“I doubt if she knew her husband was involved in shady deals. It appears her only sin was that the vehicle was bought in her company's name but there is no evidence that she took part in the commission of the crime,” the judge remarked in his judgment.
Pinny was charged along with her husband on the third count of money laundering. Morupisi himself faced two other charges of corruption.
Morupisi, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, is convicted whilst employed as Director at the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM). He had been serving as a public officer who held the position of board chairperson for Botswana Public Officer (BPOPF) on or about November 2014 in Gaborone. Without a final resolution of the board and in abuse of public office as chairperson of BPOPF whilst the board was on suspension, he corruptly signed a contract with Capital Management Botswana (CMB) on behalf of BPOPF authorising the former to administer BPOPF funds as private equity managers and in the process obtained valuable consideration for himself and his wife’s company.
On count two of corruption also, contrary to section 26 of the Corruption and Economic Crime Act, Morupisi was accused of authorising CMB to administer BPOPF funds as private equity managers without the final resolution of the board and acting together with his wife in her personal capacity and her capacity as Director at R7 Group that on or about May 15, 2017, received valuable consideration to wit, a Land Cruiser valued at P630,988.99 for himself and his wife’s company.
On the last count of money laundering, Morupisi, his wife, and R7 Group were accused of receiving and converting to personal use a Toyota Land Cruiser pickup bought in South Africa whilst they knew or had reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting that the said car was derived or bought in whole or in part directly or indirectly from the commission of the offence, to wit corruption by a public officer.
In his judgment, Gabanagae punched holes in Morupisi version of events. The judge found that although the record shows Morupisi had enough funds to purchase the vehicle, in this scenario, this was not the case.
The judge found that by hastily signing the contract awarding CMB, knowing that there was a court order suspending the business of the board, Morupisi had ‘bad motives’.
“I find the action of the first accused (Morupisi) of signing the contract whilst business of the board was suspended by the court order, was motivated by the benefit in the long run,” the judge ruled.
The judge further said that the fact that Morupisi started payment regularly after realising there was an investigation against him shows that he was trying to conceal the truth. The judge further called out the purported sale agreement as a scam.
Sentencing in the matter has been set for next week Tuesday after the state asked for time to process the former PSP's fingerprints to verify previous convictions.