NPF case resumes as lockdown eases
Mpho Mokwape | Friday May 22, 2020 14:08
The case returned to court Friday last week with only the lawyers present due to travel restrictions imposed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown.
The P250 million money laundering case will be in court again next Friday for a status hearing to allow the lawyers of the accused persons to confirm a suitable date for the parties.
The accused including the recently added former spy chief Isaac Kgosi, Bakang Seretse, Kenneth Kerekang and the Kebonang brothers – the former minister, Sadique and his twin, High Court judge, Zein.
According to communication between the court and the parties involved, the matter was set for a status hearing on July 6, 2020, but due to the absence of one of the attorneys Unoda Mack, they will meet next Friday to establish if the July 6 date is suitable for all the attorneys. The accused persons will be excused from the appearance.
The case that was initially handled by Broadhurst Regional South Chief Magistrate, Masilo Matlhaka before his departure for further studies, is now managed and heard at Extension II Magistrate’s Court.
At its last sitting, the court was made aware that the charge sheet was amended following the indictment of Kgosi.
The amended charge sheet now stipulates that Seretse, Basis Points, Kgori Capital, Noor and Ndzinge on December 24, 2015 acting together with a common purpose, corrupted Kenneth Kerekang, his wife Mpho Kerekang and a public servant, to enter into an unauthorised contract with Kgori Capital, in which terms the asset management firm was to earn 0.80 percent of the total value of the NPF assets. It is also alleged that the said civil servant, Tshepo Bojelo, on September 1, 2015 to August 11, 2017 employed as chief administration officer in the Department of Energy, knowingly failed to disclose personal interest in the decision the Department of Energy had to make, given his longstanding and close rapport with Seretse, a director in Basis Points Capital, which was awarded the tender. The Department of Energy awarded Basis Points Capital the tender in December 2015, which subcontracted Kgori Capital to conduct the financial and investment management of the NPF and establish a NPF Management Unit, notwithstanding the non-disclosure that Seretse was also a director in the subcontracted business.
The accused persons are facing more than 126 charges ranging from money laundering, theft, abuse of office, giving false information to persons employed in the public service and uttering a false document.
Meanwhile in relation to the case, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions is waiting to hear if the court gives them the go-ahead to seize more assets from some of the accused persons. Before the State of Emergency, the case was before the Gaborone High Court, which was pushing to recover more assets related to the NPF.
As stated by prosecutor Ernest Mosate, there were more assets still to be recovered from the accused persons, especially money that was laundered through Basis Point. Judgement is expected on July 29.