Kgosi charged on two counts
Mpho Mokwape | Friday April 5, 2019 13:25
According to the charge sheet, count one of the offence is the prohibition of disclosure of identity. The particulars of offence are that the accused person, Kgosi, between February 18 and 25, 2019 in Gaborone took photographs of officers as well as the identity cards of the officers engaged in DIS covert operation.
On count two he is charged with obstructing officers and support staff.
“The accused person, Kgosi, on or about February 18, 2019 at Extension 6 obstructed x and y who are officers of the DIS in the execution of their duties by verbally assaulting them,” the charge sheet reads.
However, Kgosi’s attorneys Thabiso Tafila and Diba Diba have indicated that they would challenge the validity of the charges, as they believe they have no substance.
Earlier when he appeared, prosecutor Dumezwani Marapo indicated that they wanted to read the charges to Kgosi since it was a fresh matter and plea.
“We request that the accused be read his charges and a plea reserved on reasons that the matter is still under investigation,” he said.
Before the case could proceed any further, Magistrate Goodwill Makofi said he would not preside over the matter on grounds that he was well known to the accused person.
He recused himself from the matter and told the court that it will be transferred to the Regional Magistrate’s Court for hearing next Thursday.
Meanwhile, Kgosi’s charges were motivated by allegations he made that he was aware that there was a resolution to assassinate him.
Mmegi had recently reported that the claims came from a disclosed five-page letter to the DIS, Botswana Police Service (BPS), Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS), Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Attorney General on February 20, 2019 marked highly confidential. Kgosi had claimed and exposed names of the officers from the DIS and BPS who had harassed him.
The ex-spy chief had claimed that on February 18, 2019 he went for physiotherapy and two officers followed him into the clinic where they aggressively demanded from the receptionist that they be taken to him.
Sources close to Kgosi’s defence are of the view that he has on several times reported to BPS that he was living under sustained harassment by DIS and nothing was being done about it.
“The real issue is that a person reports to authorities that his life is in danger and no action is taken. A baseless complaint by the DIS against him brought much later than the reports of threats to his life is investigated and charges brought to court whilst no action whatsoever is taken in respect of his complaints,” the source said.