Goats-for-sale attract 'undercover' agents to UB academic

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Friday October 8, 2010 00:00

It started when a 'potential' buyer called persistently but failed to honour two meetings. But when they finally met yesterday, Marobela had a harrowing experience at the hands of two men who identified themselves as 'undercover intelligence agents' from the military.

He said he realised the men had something up their sleeve immediately he laid eyes on them. Even though they were not in uniform, he could tell they were from the security agencies. One of the men was a giant with a green t-shirt that emblazoned 'army' in front. Marobela said the man was armed with a revolver and had a communicating gadget on his wrist. He said he realised that the men were not interested in buying goats and sensing danger, he decided to have no dealings with them. 

When he told the two men that he was no longer interested in selling goats to them, they told him to accompany them to their office. He drove with the two men in their car from Princess Marina Hospital to Maruapula shopping complex, where they refused to release him. 

At this time, he feared for his life. 'They were making telephone calls and insisting that I should go with them to their office I tried to leave but they followed me until I called my wife,' he said. Marobela said he was released after his wife showed up but not before the two men produced Botswana Defence Force (BDF) identity cards. He decided to drive with his wife to his lawyer's offices near River Walk Mall with the intelligence agents following them in their car.  He said on arrival, the two told his lawyer, Shakes Busang that they were after him (Marobela).

Speaking to Mmegi, the lawyer said he was surprised about the manner in which the security agents were behaving.  He said when he tried to talk to them, they told him that they have no business with him.   The men hovered outside the lawyer's office, waiting for Marobela and Busang said when the two men tried to intervene he told them that he was still consulting with his client.

'They came to us directly and said 'we are looking for this man'.  I told them that we were still talking,' said Busang. He said the way the agents conducted themselves was not professional.

The Mmegi team arrived to find the security agents waiting outside the lawyers' offices. But they left hastily soon after in their black Opel car with plate number B964ALE. The car had a 'for sale' sticker with a cellphone number.However, when Mmegi tried to call the number it was off air.

Marobela said he was equally shocked by the manner in which the security agents were behaving.  He now fears for his life. 'Our lives are in danger. I am very concerned,' he said.

Police spokesman, Assistant Commissioner, Chris Mbulawa said other security agencies can investigate crimes without the involvement of the police because they are also law enforcers. He said if the people who had approached Marobela produced their identity cards, it shows that they were doing the right thing. He does not believe that their approach was threatening. He said they were civil because they even allowed Marobela to drive to his lawyer's office.