My Arrest Was A Plot - Moswaane
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Monday June 10, 2019 13:37
Speaking over the weekend, Moswaane said there is a certain group of people who are behind his arrest.
His explanation is that such people want him to be followed by the police so that he can be suspended from the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
However, the MP affirmed that he was not shaken by the move to dislodge him from the constituency. In his view, he remains a member of the BDP in good standing against all odds.
Police recently took Moswaane into custody for posting a video that captured a gruesome murder of a 21-year old South African woman.
Prior to Moswaane’s posting, the video trended on social media. He further told his audience that police bosses from Gaborone arrested him as opposed to those in Francistown.
The arrest was a surprise as there are capable commanding officers around Francistown who could have performed the assignment, he argued.
“If I had done something wrong local police officers could have been the first ones to come, arrest and detain me”, he said.
Yet another surprise, according to Moswaane was that when he got to the police station he claimed that they questioned him if he was the one who shared a video on BDP WhatsApp group for parliamentarians.
“I told them I am the one who shared the video and believed that I shared it secretively to lobbing for parliamentarians to use raise their voice on the matter and further investigate on the issue,” he said.
On another realm, Moswaane further said that he told the police that as a member of the Human Development and Social Security Committee he shared the video on the SADC Parliamentary Forum requesting support. He also called for investigation and action to deal with the matter.
Meanwhile, following his arrest he was then taken to BPS headquarters in Gaborone where the police seized his phone and wanted his Personal Identification Number (PIN) and password, which he declined to give.
“As I address you today I am a prisoner at the moment. I went to Gaborone with the police and I am yet to return there on Monday. They seized my cell phone and they wanted to get my PIN but I refused with it. I told them if I give it to them I will not be safe,” he said.
Subsequently, the police refused to grant him his phone, as he did not give them his PIN, he claimed.
He explained that he has the right to privacy hence he cannot just let anyone get access to his phone. Moswaane expressed surprise for his arrest claiming that he advocating against violence experienced by women.
In his view, he shared the video because another Monarch youth was also stabbed to death with a knife in Borolong following the South African incident.
He said that this was not the first time a video of such nature was shared on the same social media platform. For example, he said there was a time when another video of a woman abused by two Nigerian terrorist soldiers went viral on social media.
“I suspect that there is what is called selective justice because in the same WhatsApp group there are some MPs who share videos and photos but the police have not arrested such legislators,” he said.
Moswaane shared that last month another MP sent a picture of a naked woman, and the issue went viral but he was never arrested.
Narrating his troubles, Moswaane said that after he circulated the video, the BDP Secretary General, Mpho Balopi wrote a letter condemning sharing of the video, which applies to other MPs.
Moswaane added that he was now confused as he believed that he shared the video secretively with other parliamentarians.
During the questions and comments, Alliance for Progressives MP contender, Dira Moalosi said that Moswaane’s experience is unfair and disheartening.
Another concerned citizen, Olebile Motsamai pleaded with the constituents to rally behind their MP, as he needed support on the matter.
Moswaane told the meeting that he was going back to police headquarters with his lawyer on Monday as a warrant of arrest has been issued against him.
His other fear is that if the police can have access to his phone they might retrieve all his messages, accounts, pictures and other private items.