Gov't undecided on prosecuting Butterfly perpetrators
Larona Makhaiza | Wednesday February 18, 2026 06:00
The Minister of State, President, Defence and Security, Moeti Mohwasa, revealed this when answering a Parliamentary question last week.
Mohwasa was responding to a question last Friday by Member of Parliament for Tswapong South Kesitegile Gobotswang, who had enquired if the government would identify and prosecute individuals who played a leading role in the case.
Additionally, he asked the minister what the government is doing to restore public confidence in the central bank. In response, Mohwasa said the matter is under review and that the government would decide in due time after all the right channels are followed.
“Government wishes to inform this August House that the matter in question is still being holistically examined by relevant facts, legal processes, and institutional responsibilities are properly understood. This will guide the next course of action,” the minister said.
Mohwasa further said the government has adopted necessary steps to restore public confidence in government institutions. “The issue has understandably generated significant public interest and concern, particularly given the importance of the Bank of Botswana as a central institution in our financial system, and you might be aware that the government has already issued an apology regarding this matter,” he said.
At the time, the state claimed her arrest was connected to an alleged P100 billion that was purportedly siphoned from the Bank of Botswana. The case also implicated several high-profile individuals, including former President Ian Khama, South African businesswoman Motsepe-Radebe, and the late former Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DIS) director-general Isaac Kgosi.
Eventually, the now ambassador judge to Belgium, Justice Zein Kebonang, ordered that the matter was not only unfounded but fabricated. The lead investigator was Jako Hubona from DCEC.
The government has since apologised to the aggrieved Motsepe after the settlement before the courts last year. The matter dates back to 2019, when DIS agent Maswabi was arrested at one of the agency’s offices in Commerce Park, Gaborone.
Last year, before the Motsepe settlement, A UK-based law firm, Omnia Strategy LLP (Omnia), called for the investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators and wanted the latter held accountable and punished. “It is imperative that the new Government of Boko speedily addresses the legacy of the Butterfly saga by investigating those involved and holding them to account with the full force of the law,” read a statement from the firm.