Gov't broke
Mpho Mokwape | Friday March 26, 2021 16:11
The company that is owed half a million Pula moved a non- compliance application late November last year at Court of Appeal seeking a writ of execution order for the property after the state failed to settle a bill of P501, 142.20 as costs.
According to an affidavit of non-compliance by the company’s attorney Busang Manewe, the government has failed to pay the amount and therefore as the company it is entitled to a writ of execution. “On October 23, 2020, Kebuang Tselapedi in her capacity as the Assistant Registrar and Master of the High Court, issued an allowance for costs which the state was to pay the company the said about and they have failed,” he said.
The application for non-compliance is in response to a taxation order that was done on October 23, 2020 where both parties met and the state agreed to settle the bill without any issue. During the taxation meeting an attorney, one Seopolengwe representing the state had told the court that the bill issued was suitable and that there will be no issues since the settlement was also placed before the Director of DPP, Stephen Tiroyakgosi and he also agreed to the costs. “Our view is to settle. My instructions from the bosses are that we should settle the costs.
The bill as issued is suitable no issues with it. We agreed at P501, 142.20,” reads the paper. Earlier charges against Kgori Capital, and its directors Alfonse Ndzinge and Sharifa Noor were dropped after back-to-back court appearances.
The company, an asset manager entity was one of the many companies that came under the spotlight when the National Petroleum Fund (NPF) hit the headlines late 2017 with allegations among others money laundering.
The state had alleged that up to P250m belonging to the fund had been lost through money laundering linked to the national intelligence agency. Then DPP pointed the company as one of those which benefited from the fund and moved applications to freeze its accounts.
The state’s contention was that the fund manager had helped itself to P10.5m in management fees from the NPF despite the non-existence of any valid agreement. It was then alleged that Bakang Seretse who was at the time Director of the company, Basis Points, Noor and Ndzinge on December 24, 2015 acted together to corrupt a public servant to enter into an unauthorized contract where former spy chief Isaac Kgosi was to benefit.