Morupisi, wife trial Day 2: Defence accuses state of witness intimidation
Mpho Mokwape | Tuesday April 13, 2021 13:00
Senior counsel Busang Manewe told the court that they had intended to call the former acting chief executive officer of the Botswana Public Officer Pension Fund (BPOPF), Lesedi Moakofhi to the stand as the third witness, but she pulled out at the last minute.
'We indicated to the court prior to the trial that we will call three witnesses, but we have since reverted to only two being the accused persons. We have been under the impression that she will appear to give her evidence, but it turns out she has been intimidated to do so, in that case, we won't be calling her as our third witness,” Manewe submitted.
Manewe said Moakofhi was instrumental in the proceedings since she was part of the Capital Management Botswana and BPOPF contract signing.
However, prosecutor Priscilla Israel denied any knowledge of intimidation on their part.
She said Moakofhi was in fact supposed to be in the dock with Morupisi as co-accused, but they decided to charge her separately and that her case is before the Magistrate's Court.
'We have not intimidated anyone and we are hearing this for the first time. The person in question was once a state witness until we brought charges to her and her case is pending before the court,” she said.
Meanwhile, Morupisi's spouse, Pinnie Morupisi took the stand as the last witness detailing why she found it odd that the state is questioning why her husband was a signatory to the Land Cruiser purchase agreement.
She told the court that her husband signed the documents because they are married in community of property and that he was the one who was earning a salary.
'He is my husband, he is the one with the means to sustain us and he found it fit to buy my company a car. I don't get why there is a problem in that,' she said.
Pinnie explained that at the beginning of February 2018 she was approached by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime in the absence of her spouse demanding to see documents for the vehicle, which she gave to them all the original copies.
She said they later left with the documents including the purchase agreement contract saying that they are going to take further look at the papers at their office and that they will return them.
'They promised to bring back the papers, but three weeks passed without a word from them. That’s when my husband decided to call their boss to enquire about them and that I was later surprised when prosecution claimed that in the purchase contract there was no page two whereas I had given them original papers,' she explained.
Morupisi said that is when they returned and demanded that she drive the vehicle to their offices, but she refused, pointing out that she could not do so without her spouse's permission and that they took the keys and drove off with it.
The state is expected to file its submissions on May 26, 2021, and the defence to respond within 14 days of receipt. The case has been adjourned to July 30, 2021, for oral submissions.