Tonota woman admits forging Omang for foreigners
Lebogang Mosikare | Thursday October 19, 2017 16:50
The 44-year-old Sekane Mabutho of Tonota village pleaded guilty to seven counts of helping Zimbabweans to obtain Omang illegally when she appeared before magistrate Lebogang Kebeetsweng on Wednesday.
Mabutho was also charged with eight counts of lying to a person employed in the public service in order to help aliens to unlawfully obtain national identity cards. She, however, admitted to all the charges save for the second.
The offences happened in a period spanning close to 10 years, but Mabutho’s unscrupulous ways were only discovered this year. One incident occurred at the offices of civil and national registration in Gaborone while the rest happened in Francistown.
The accused’s modus operandi was discovered after officers of civil and national registration department became suspicious that she was responsible for helping many people who were neither born in Botswana nor were her relatives to obtain national identity cards.
In some instances, Mabutho would claim that some of the people she helped to obtain the national identity cards were children of her late brothers and sisters, but police investigations proved her otherwise.
Mabutho is out on bail and was ordered to come to court on November 2 for facts reading in respect of the offences she admitted and setting of dates for a case management conference in respect of the charge she is denying.
Rodger Bosena from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) appeared for the State in the matters. In similar cases in the past, the court cancelled the identity numbers of the fraudulently obtained national identity cards rendering them void.
Meanwhile, two Pro Guard security officers Howard Mbakile, 26, and Mosalagae Gosetsemang, 27, appeared before the same magistrate to face a single count of theft.
The State alleges that on June 12, the duo stole 1,000 litres of petrol worth P8,000 at Vivo Energy depot at Dumela Industrial Site. The petrol came into their possession by virtue of their positions as security guards. They pleaded not guilty to the charge, adding that they will represent themselves in the matter.
Prosecutor Bosena told the court that investigations into the matter were complete.
The duo was given bail on condition that they each bind themselves with P1,000, shall each bring two sureties who shall bind themselves with P500; shall not interfere with State witnesses and appear in court on December 15 for a case management conference.