Hemp farm bust done behind my back- Ralotsia

Former Minister of Agriculture, Patrick Ralotsia says the withdrawal of an exemption he had granted allowing a South African producer to grow hemp in Kanngwe was done without his knowledge even though he was still heading the ministry at the time.  

Ralotsia who granted the company, Fresh Standard, the exemption to grow the industrial plant and offered his farm for the crop, said he was not informed about the withdrawal. 

According to High Court documents filed in a case in which Fresh Standard is suing government over the matter, the withdrawal of exemption was made on March 29, 2019 while Ralotsia was still a minister.

Editor's Comment
Get back what was stolen, and lock the door

That a single private law firm pocketed P6.5 million for just four cases, out of a total P11.1 million paid for 25 matters, reeks of a system that was not merely disorganised but open to abuse.Bayford has taken a welcome first step by telling the Public Accounts Committee the truth. Now he must act decisively to ensure it never happens again and that any money lost to wrongdoing is recovered.The figures are staggering. Whilst ordinary Batswana...

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