Seretse donated to Masisi campaign
Staff Writer | Friday November 30, 2018 14:20
This new piece of evidence leaked to Mmegi conclusively proves that then vice president’s campaign for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) chairperson position received injection from the embattled asset manager.
Seretse made the donations through his company Basis Points Capital, which is one of the accused in a high profile criminal case involving the money laundering of the National Petroleum Fund (NPF).
The P250 million NPF money laundering case was mentioned at the Broadhurst Magistrate’s Court yesterday with two new heavyweights in the dock.
High Court Judge Zein Kebonang and his twin brother, former Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) for Lobatse, Sadique Kebonang have been added into the new charge sheet.
The twins are facing a pile of criminal charges amounting to over P130 million. They joined Seretse, Kenneth Kerekang, executive director of Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA), Mogomotsi Seretse, younger brother to Bakang and Kago Stimela. The case involves the NPF’s P250 million that was transferred to the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) for construction of fuel storage tanks, before being diverted for the purchase of military hardware from Israel.
Charges against Botho Leburu, a director at Khulaco Management Services have since been dropped. But those remaining as accused are reportedly facing 65 charges ranging from money laundering, theft, abuse of office, giving false information to person employed in the public service and uttering a false document.
According to the paper trail, payment to Masisi’s campaign was made on April 6, 2017 when a sum of P300,010 was credited to Briscoe Attorneys.
This amount was included in the purchase price paid to Sadique for the sale of his property in Phakalane.
In his letter to Briscoe Attorneys, Seretse gave instructions as to how the attorneys must disburse the amounts relating to the P3.3 million in the attorney’s trust account. In a hand delivered letter the following day to attorney Daphne Briscoe, Seretse said: “I refer to my deposit of P3,300,010 into your trust account. I authorise you to immediately pay the sum of P3,000,000 to Mr Sadique Kebonang (or his nominee) for the sale of shares in Bee a Bee (Pty) Ltd.
“The balance of P300,010 must be paid to His Honour, The Vice President Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi towards his election campaign as a donation from myself. The instruction as to how the money should be distributed shall come from Mr Masisi himself”.
The next payment received by Masisi was P2 million also from Bakang Seretse after the Tonota BDP elective congress. The money was also paid directly as a gift to his file at Briscoe Attorneys. Curiously, Masisi has not been charged with money laundering. Masisi’s donation is one of those included as a charge against the Kebonang twins in a curious turn of events.
Masisi has apparently given the DCEC a statement in an attempt to distance himself from the P2 million donation still with Briscoe Attorneys. Spokesperson for the DCEC, Phakamile Kraai has revealed this week that the graft agency is yet to prefer any charges against Masisi.
Kraai would further deny outright that President Masisi has deposed an affidavit to the DCEC confirming that he indeed received funds for his Tonota BDP elective congress campaigns from Bakang Seretse, which is allegedly part of the crime proceeds.
“Reports that President Masisi could be under DCEC investigations are totally unfounded and without basis,” said Kraai, further denying Masisi has plans to return funds donated to him by Seretse because he has since realised that the donation might have been part of the proceeds of crime. “As highlighted from the first answer, we are not aware of this development, nor the President having received such funds,” Phakamile said before hanging up.
Briscoe, who managed Bakang Seretse/BEE & BEE (PTY) Ltd trust account, when given an opportunity of right to reply this week, was quick to give a “no comment” response closely guarding the client-attorney confidentiality.
The senior private secretary to the President, Berzack Maphakwane had promised to respond to our questions, but could not do so at the time of going to press.