Investigating Officer (IO) Oarabile Japi has made fresh accusations against the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) agent Oteng Keraamang (39), insinuating that he is involved in money laundering of P40 000 cash.
The accusations follow the charges of possession of illicit substances (dagga) against him in the police shootout case before Extension II Magistrate Court.
The DIS agent is charged alongside six other persons for the police shootout incident that took place at the Gaborone Secondary School (GSS) grounds a fortnight ago. Six other accused persons are Phenyo Godisang (39), Tshepo Seakanyeng (38), Lebogang David (39), Artwell Mpofu (41), Isaac Sinemba (35) and lastly Thabo Molebe (25) who was on the run.
In court this week, the State made a plea that the accused persons should further languish in custody as there has been developments in the webbed case.
Prosecutions raised fear that the spy agent, Keraamang might interfere with their investigations and there is a likelihood of registering new cases against him with IO advancing the reasons.
“Investigations into this matter are still ongoing and the outlook of them have taken a different direction than we had thought. This matter seems to be well organised by somebody who knew what he was doing, particularly the intelligence officer,” feared the IO.
The IO also raised that initially they had thought there were only nine packages of suspected illicit substances (dagga) supposedly in possession of the spy agent but to their surprise there are more than that.
“The suspected dagga we seized was what they took from one of the accused. The illicit substance weighed about 1kg per package. Of the 30 packages, only nine have been seized and we are hopeful that should we be given time, we will be able to get the remaining substances without the interference of the DIS agent and accused number two (Godisang),” Japi said.
Further levelling new accusations against accused persons, the IO said the intricate crime runs deeper than they had anticipated and it involves some money.
“It includes monetary transactions which we might add to their charges as the first accused (DIS agent) and second accused (Godisang) went away with P40 000 cash which we have not located,” he said.
Given the opportunity to cross-examine the IO, defence attorney Sesupo Masaka quashed the allegations raised by Japi and asked him to reveal the name of his source regarding such accusations. Japi did not budge, but kept his source under wraps.
“I got it from one of the witnesses and for investigating purposes may I not reveal the names,” he said.
Still pushing for the name of the said witness, Japi said he does not have the name as it in his diary which he left at his office.
Presiding chief magistrate Kamogelo Mmesi said that if the State intended to further remand accused persons in custody they should have brought facts and amended their charge sheet, not just raise the allegations.
“Today you are here bringing new accusations not before court and the least they could have done was to amend the charge sheet and what they say is the accused might interfere with investigations but they did not bring facts,” she said worriedly.
Taking this into consideration, the magistrate granted the DIS agent and his co-accused bail except for the two foreign nationals.
Accused persons are charged with three counts, one of which is giving false information to a person employed in public service particularly the DIS spy and Godisang. The DIS agent Keraamang, an accused alongside Godisang, is alleged to have, on August 4 at the Central Police Station, acted together and gave false information to police officers, causing them to act on their lawful powers, knowing very well that the information was false.
On the second count, all six accused persons are charged with unlawful possession of an illicit substance suspected to be dagga at the GSS grounds where shooting of one of the suspects took place.
On the last count, accused Seakanyeng, David, Mpofu, and Sinemba are charged with assaulting police officers in the execution of their duties. The quartet are alleged to have assaulted officers at the GSS grounds with a 55cm brown sable knife, pepper spray, and a small axe. The case continues on 3rd September,2025.
