A reflection on Salakae’s co-accused
Spira Tlhankane | Friday August 21, 2026 11:30
The items, a P1.6 million payment, a Toyota Fortuner and bush-clearing services formed part of a wider scheme surrounding the award of the multi-billion-pula Ghanzi-New Xade road project.
The charge sheet dated August 11, 2026, lays out an alleged litany of activities stretching from the award of a major government road contract to the movement of P1.6 million through a lawyer's bank account and an attempted arrangement to acquire property for a senior public official.
Tau Grading and Building Construction (Pty) Ltd, the company awarded the Ghanzi-New Xade road project is the main player in the corruption puzzle. The company was publicly identified as the contractor for the 125-kilometre road in November 2024, and the charge sheet puts the contract value at P1, 5 billion and alleges that its award was accompanied by a series of corrupt transactions. The State has charged seven accused persons, including the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Noah Salakae. Below are the six others who emerge as key figures in the prosecution's case.
Tau Grading and Building Construction (Pty) Ltd - Accused No. 1
The company faces two charges, which are corrupting a public officer and money laundering. According to the State, Tau Grading, represented by its director and shareholder Hugo Johannes Lemcke, acted together with other accused persons between November 1, 2024 and July 30, 2025 to corruptly influence Salakae. The alleged inducements were substantial, which were P1.6 million in cash, a Toyota Fortuner 2.8 valued at P575, 000, and bush-clearing services. The prosecution alleges these were offered and given as rewards for the Minister's alleged role in influencing and ensuring that the Ghanzi-New Xade road contract was signed in Tau Grading's favour. The company also face the money-laundering count, in which the State alleges that the P1.6 million formed part of proceeds of corruption and was moved through a bank account belonging to accused number seven, lawyer Mompati Patrick Sepego. Tau Grading describes itself as a construction company involved in road and building construction and says it has more than 20 years of experience in the industry.
Seby Jose - Accused No. 2
Jose is an accountant employed by Tau Grading, and faces money-laundering charge. The State alleges that Jose acted jointly with the other accused persons in transferring, receiving, possessing and disguising property representing proceeds of crime. At the heart of the allegation is the P1.6 million which the prosecution says was corruptly paid to Salakae. The charge sheet alleges that the money was first paid into a Bank Gaborone account in the name of Sepego, before P1.6 million was transferred to another Bank Gaborone account belonging to the late Christian De Graaff. The prosecution claims the payment was connected to the purchase of Portions 3 and 4 of Farm No. 50-NK in Ghanzi, which it alleges was acquired for Salakae. Jose's alleged role therefore places him within the financial trail that the State intends to use to connect the construction company and its officials to the alleged acquisition of property for the former minister.
Hugo Johannes Lemcke - Accused No. 3
Hugo Lemcke is the company's chief executive officer, and appears twice in the charge sheet, both in his corporate capacity and personally. He faces the charge of corrupting a public officer and is also among those charged with money laundering. The corruption count alleges that Lemcke acted with Tau Grading and his father, Christiaan Rudolf Lemcke, to offer and give the alleged benefits to Salakae. The prosecution specifically alleges that the payments and benefits were connected to the minister's alleged influence over the awarding and signing of the Ghanzi-New Xade road contract. The money-laundering charge goes further, alleging that Lemcke participated in the transfer and concealment of the P1.6 million and the property allegedly purchased with the money. The charge sheet places him at the centre of both the alleged corruption transaction and the subsequent financial movements.
Christiaan Rudolf Lemcke - Accused No. 4
Christiaan Lemcke, identified as a director and shareholder of Tau Grading, faces the same two charges as his son, Hugo, which are corrupting a public officer and money laundering. The corruption allegations state that he acted together with Tau Grading, Hugo Lemcke and Seby Jose in offering and giving the alleged benefits to Salakae. The alleged inducements included the P1.6 million, the Toyota Fortuner and bush-clearing services. The money-laundering count then places Christiaan among those alleged to have knowingly transferred, received, possessed or disguised the proceeds. The prosecution alleges that the P1.6 million was moved through Sepego's account before being paid towards the purchase of the two farm portions. It further alleges that steps were taken to disguise the ownership of the property by intending to register it first in the name of Salakae's wife and later in the name of Lokah (Pty) Ltd.
Kgakgamalo Ketshajwang - Accused No. 6
Unlike the other accused linked directly to the alleged payments, Ketshajwang, former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, faces a different allegation. He is charged with abuse of office under Section 104 of the Penal Code. The State alleges that on or about October 29, 2024, Ketshajwang and another person who has not been brought before the court acted jointly to initiate and approve the direct appointment of Tau Grading for the New-Xade road project. The charge sheet alleges that the contract was worth P1.5 billion and that its award required the use of selective procurement. According to the prosecution, Ketshajwang's alleged conduct prejudiced other lawfully registered companies that were entitled to compete for government construction work. His alleged involvement therefore comes at the procurement stage, before the alleged payments detailed in the other counts. The charge against him centres not on receiving an alleged benefit, but on the State's contention that he improperly used the authority of his office to facilitate Tau Grading's appointment.
Mompati Patrick Sepego - Accused No. 7
Mompati Patrick Sepego is a managing partner at Sepego Legal Practice, and he is the final figure in the money trail. He faces a money laundering charge. According to the charge sheet, the P1.6 million was paid into a Bank Gaborone account held in Sepego's name at the Airport Junction branch. The State alleges that the account was then used to transfer the money to an account belonging to Christian De Graaff at Bank Gaborone's Ghanzi branch, allegedly as payment for Portions 3 and 4 of Farm No. 50-NK. The prosecution further alleges that Sepego's account was not registered with, and was unknown to, the Botswana Law Society, which the charge sheet describes as the statutory body responsible for regulating legal practitioners and their trust accounts. This allegation forms part of the State's broader case that the financial transactions were designed to disguise the alleged proceeds of corruption. For the six accused persons covered above, the allegations range from decision-making and accounting, to procurement authority and the use of a legal practitioner's bank account.
But these remain allegations contained in a charge sheet, and the filing of charges does not establish guilt, and each accused person remains entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until a court determines otherwise.