Prosecutors state in the charge sheet that the former Gamalete legislator, on or about April 17, 2024, accepted P4.7 million from New Energy Company Pty Ltd via Wisecreatives Investments Pty Ltd. They argue this was a reward for issuing prospecting licenses in Gantsi, Tsabong, and Tutume to New Energy. In the second case, Moagi faces two counts of corruption and money laundering. As the trial for the charge commenced this week, Matlhogonolo Samuel, the deputy director responsible for prospecting and licensing in the Department of Mines, appeared before Regional Magistrates as the State witness against his former boss.
Samuel methodically explained how applications by New Energy (Pty) Ltd moved through the department before eventually landing on the minister’s (Moagi) desk for final approval. The deputy director said he became involved in the matter after being approached by investigators from the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) in October 2025. Following discussions with investigators, he searched the department’s Mining Cadastre System and confirmed that New Energy had been granted prospecting licenses in Gantsi, Tsabong, and Tutume districts. “I found the company name on the system, which had taken the prospecting licenses,” Samuel testified. He told the court that six licenses were approved on August 5, 2024, and the other two on September 11, 2024. Asked by prosecutor Ambrose Mubika whether he played any role in the processing of the applications, Samuel affirmed. “Yes, I was involved in the process. I made the recommendation to the director of the Department of Mines,” he said. He explained that applications were subjected to several layers of scrutiny before reaching the minister.
