Kgosi Explains Israel Trip
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Monday December 9, 2019 18:00
Kgosi, who appeared before Regional Magistrate Masilo Mathaka on Friday, said he spent two months in Israel undergoing hydrotherapy as per the orders of his doctor in Malaysia.
He slipped into the country undetected early Tuesday, after months of being away in Malaysia on medical reasons, but his battle with the State started in earnest. The State on Friday was motivating for Kgosi to be remanded in custody for breaching his bail conditions.
The State revealed its suspicions that the ex-spy chief’s passport had ‘loopholes’ which have not been explained. The State was adamant that something did not make sense about the passport, especially between the months of September and December, the time Kgosi was said to be away on medical reasons.
However, his attorneys Thabiso Tafila and Unoda Mack who were pleading with the court to discharge his warrant of arrest, motivated for him to take the witness stand and explain the gaps in his passport.
“After doing surgery on August 24, the doctor advised that I undergo physiotherapy and rehabilitation. My body was swollen so he recommended that I should go hydrotherapy. I had done it before on the same doctor’s recommendation. I did it in Israel so I went there,” he said.
Kgosi told the court that hydrotherapy is only done in Israel because of the unique solar and mineral properties found only at the Dead Sea.
He explained that in Israel, they do not stamp people’s passports because of the religious differences between them and some Islamic states.
He said he remained in Israel from September 3 to December 1, 2019 because he was told he could not be allowed back in Malaysia.
State prosecutor, Thato Dibeela argued that the issue of hydrotherapy is raised as an after thought by the defence counsel.
Dibeela argued that above all, Kgosi should be arrested because he breached his bail conditions. “The accused breached bail conditions as such appropriate sanctions are to be applied upon him. The law applies equally regardless of the conditions that we are in. The explanation is an afterthought, as such warrant of arrest should be reinstated,” she said.
Meanwhile, the court heard that when Kgosi entered the country through the Ramotswa border post, the passport system failed to trigger the alarm to alert the authorities as was expected.
Magistrate Mathaka will deliver his ruling on whether to discharge or reinstate Kgosi’s warrant of arrest tomorrow.