DPP swoops on Moyo, Olopeng
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday June 24, 2015 18:03
The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has applied to freeze the accounts of Youth, Sports and Culture minister, Thapelo Olopeng and IRB Transport, a company headed by Tati East legislator, Samson Guma Moyo. In an action led by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime, DPP officials filed the application yesterday morning at the Village Magistrate Court, with the matter set to commence after July 28.
According to the papers filed, IRB Transport is cited as first respondent, with Olopeng and Standard Chartered Bank Botswana as the second and third respectively. While it is unclear what the minister’s association with the company or the matter is, Moyo is IRB Transport’s managing director and the accounts the DPP wants frozen are held at the bank. Village Magistrate officials were however quick to point out that no charges had been filed in the matter as yet. “The DPP has filed a ‘miscellaneous application’ under which it is seeking to freeze the accounts. “No charges have been laid,” the officials said. Mmegi has been informed that while Olopeng and IRB Transport have filed their responses to the DPP’s application, the bank is due to submit by July 10.
The DPP will file replying affidavits on July 17 and all papers in the matter are due by July 28. Already, it is understood attorneys representing the company and Olopeng are demanding that the DPP explain why it requires accounts to be frozen.
Yesterday evening, Moyo’s attorney, Moses Kadye, declined to shed light on the matter.
“The matter is still at court and I cannot comment further,” he said. Moyo confirmed to Mmegi that one of his companies was involved in a matter before the Village Magistrate Court. “I can only confirm that one of my companies has been taken before court, but you can go to the Magistrate and look for that information,” he said. “I have nothing to hide. If it’s a court case, it must go ahead.” Olopeng was unavailable for comment.