The President’s five years of high profile arrests
Mompati Tlhankane | Friday March 31, 2023 15:20
Isaac Kgosi
“Hollywood style like” arrests all started with the dramatic arrest of former DIS director-general, Isaac Kgosi at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in January 2019. In a movie style sting, Kgosi was nabbed by a team of intelligence officers and other law enforcement agencies, handcuffed and taken into custody upon his return from India. The incident took place in front of the media and was coordinated by Peter Magosi, Kgosi’s successor at the DIS. Magosi personally escorted Kgosi to waiting vehicles outside the airport. Kgosi has many cases before the courts of law currently.
Keabetswe Makgophe
The arrest of the suspended Police Commissioner, Keabetswe Makgophe last year called into question the constitutional and legal mandate of the DIS and other law enforcement agencies. In what was an advertised arrest attracting too much attention with sirens and a convoy of cars, Makgophe was taken in for questioning in relation to the licensing of guns to both former president Ian Khama and the former spy chief Kgosi.
Makgophe was under the DIS custody and after engaging Kgosietsile Ngakaagae as his attorney, he managed to facilitate his release. Makgophe has since been slapped with three charges among others aiding and abetting unlawful possession of a firearm.
Khama brothers and Thea Khama
With their older brother former president Ian Khama already in exile at the time, the DIS detained the Khama twin brothers Anthony and Tshekedi and the latter’s wife Thea at Sebele last year. Following their release, Thea shared what she described as ‘the unfortunate experience of being assaulted physically and held captive of the DIS for 40 plus hours’.
She said she was remanded to a cell overnight for 12 hours at Tlokweng police station with no regard to her physical condition. After the arrest, most of the Khama family members fled the country including the Serowe West legislator Tshekedi. The latter has so far missed one Parliament sitting and if he misses another session, his seat could be declared vacant. Anthony, on the other side, has been fighting the DIS to return his personal property. Late last year the Court of Appeal ordered the DIS to return Anthony’s property which it seized at his Kenmoir Farm in 2021. In what the Khamas regard as political persecution, most of the family members have left the country and some even missed the funeral of the eldest member of their family, Jaqueline Tebogo Khama, who passed away on May 24, 2022.
Ken Morris As the DIS was busy arresting high profile figures, former commissioner general of the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS), Ken Morris was one of the spy agency’s detainees who were taken to Sebele.
Just like others, his detention was part of the investigation into the alleged possession of guns and weapons of war by Ian and Kgosi.
Morris was the BURS boss at the time when it was alleged that the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) ordered the weapons as if they were for government, only to be later licensed for Ian and Kgosi.
Carter and Pinny Morupisi After being charged with three counts of abuse of office, acceptance of bribe by a public officer and money laundering, the former Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP) Carter Morupisi and wife Pinny, were imprisoned in 2020. Pinny was charged with one count of money laundering. Morupisi was last year convicted on all three counts by Justice Mokwadi Gabanagae of the Gaborone High Court while acquitting his wife, Pinny. After being acquitted and discharged by the Gaborone High Court, Pinny decided to sue the state for P4.2 million for malicious prosecution. She says the criminal justice system was weaponised by the State to punish her as an innocent citizen.
Bridget John - former PSThe former Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Basic Education, Bridget John was in 2021 arrested and detained by the DIS over an alleged million pula maintenance project corruption scandal. John was later released following detention.
Sebina brothers In 2019, Kegone and Tshepho Sebina popularly known as the Sebina brothers were taken in for questioning and all their documents and properties seized by the DIS. They later indicated that they were victims of harassment, threats and ill-treatment from the DIS. They finally filed notice to sue and complaint against law enforcement agents regarding the manner and conduct of investigations against them. The investigations being carried out were allegedly directed against all those suspected to be associated with former spy boss Isaac Kgosi. But in 2020 principal magistrate, Batho Kgerethwa ruled that the warrant of entry, search and seizure against the brothers be rescinded. She also ordered Magosi to return all documents and properties seized from the Sebina brothers’ business premises pursuant to the order of the February 13, 2019 with immediate effect.
ATI
In a high profile case which almost incited violent protests, in 2020 controversial local musician ATI was jailed and later granted bail by the Extension 2 Magistrate Ntombizodwa Ncube. ATI was later charged with three counts of unlawful possession of illicit substances, failure to wear a mask and common nuisance. The Lekhete hit maker revealed that his arrest shows that he is hitting the government exactly where it mattered. ATI felt the government was on to him because it had presented him with an extra common nuisance charge relating to an incident at Motor Centre in Gaborone that year. The unlawful possession of illicit substances charge was later dropped.
Vee MampeezyIn 2020, the police requested Botswana’s decorated musician, Vee Mampeezy to hand himself over at Broadhurst Police Station where he was questioned for the better part of the day and later released in the afternoon.
Some of his colleagues in the creative sector went to Broadhurst police station to support the Letlhale hit maker only to be chased away by the riot police.
The artist was then charged with two counts of holding an unlawful meeting and flouting COVID-9 restrictions. Vee Mampeezy, alongside other creatives held a gathering without a permit at GSS grounds in Gaborone.
The police later dispersed the meeting. The following day, the music idol after getting a permit from the police, flouted the COVID-19 regulations by hosting a crowd of more than 50 people. Vee Mampeezy was protesting against the government’s then reluctance to open the entertainment sector.
Dr Thapelo
MatshekaIn August 2, 2022 former finance minister and current Lobatse Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Thapelo Matsheka was arrested allegedly without a warrant.
He was arrested in full view of members of the public and journalists. Matsheka was unlawfully, wrongfully arrested and detained for the period from August 2-7, 2022. He was finally released by the order of the High Court after his wife filed an urgent application demanding his immediate release.
Matsheka was arrested in connection with Tlotso Karema’s murder. Matsheka later demanded damages from the government for humiliation and reputational damage he claims to have suffered at the hands of the DIS.