Sesinyi acquitted

ISAIAH MOREWAGAE
Staff Writer | Tuesday March 2, 2010 00:00

 

But in a dramatic turn of events filled with the thrills of a high-suspense novel, the former Public and Corporate Affairs Manager of Botswana's mining giant Debswana could find himself in the invidious position of state witness.

Gaborone Regional Magistrate (South) Lot Moroka yesterday acquitted and discharged Sesinyi of all the charges against him at the Village Magistrates Court.

Sesinyi was asked to step out of the dock, leaving behind Garvas and Matome as he did when the case resumed in the shadow of Nchindo's startling death recently. Sesinyi was implicated in six of a total of 36 counts preferred the late Nchindo, Garvas and Matome and himself.

He was implicated and charged alongside the late Nchindo in counts 10 to 16.

Led by Matlhogonolo Phuthego, the prosecution team told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions had decided to withdraw the charges against Sesinyi whom the DPP intended to use as a state witness.

At that juncture, defence attorney Parks Tafa pleaded with the state prosecutor to revise the list of witnesses they intended to call during the trial and serve them with a copy.

Tafa said that would help them prepare for the trial, and added that he and his partner, Lawrence Khupe, were also listed as state witnesses.

The startling death of Nchindo could mean the end of a spectacular appearance of key public figures as witnesses before court that the public anticipated even before it could start.

Most of the charges relating to Nchindo depended heavily on the testimony of the former president Festus Mogae and certain members of his cabinet. But Nchindo's death brings the spectre of a large body or all of his charges being withdrawn.

One of the charges against Nchindo has already had to be withdrawn when the prosecution failed to bring President Ian Khama to testify for the state last year. The count related to the conduct of Nchindo when dealing with Khama when Khama was Vice President.

The state is expected to re-formulate charges for the remaining two accused and revise its list of witnesses. The case will resume on March 15 when it is expected that the state will submit an amended charge sheet for Garvas and Matome.