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‘Lost’ Lerala diamonds finally back in local hands

In the works: Lerala Mine closed in May 2017 and the fate of its last parcel of diamonds has been a tensely fought affair since then
In the works: Lerala Mine closed in May 2017 and the fate of its last parcel of diamonds has been a tensely fought affair since then

A parcel of 53,000 carats in rough diamonds from the Lerala Mine that was spirited away to Belgium by the former owner a day before closing the plant in 2017, is finally under local control after six years of complicated court cases, BusinessWeek can reveal.

Local authorities secured a key legal victory in Brussels recently and have the stones under their control, a situation that will bring finality to the saga at Lerala where creditors had filed claims worth P30 million.

“The diamonds are still in Belgium but in the hands of people engaged by Botswana who have just started the process for selling the stones,” Minerals and Energy ministry officials told BusinessWeek.

Editor's Comment
Human rights are sacred

It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...

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