The three judges panel, CoA President Tebogo Tau, Justices Baaitse Nkabinde, and Lakhvinder Singh Walia, say they are having a hard time comprehending the sentence because on all the counts Morupisi faced the High Court did not give any reasons for each of the sentence. The judges’ statement follows their confirmation of the former Permanent Secretary to the President's (PSP) guilty verdict last week, and giving him a chance to file heads of arguments addressing the court on why his sentence should not be varied. Morupisi was convicted in November 2022 on two counts of corruption and one count of money laundering and was on count one sentenced to two years imprisonment wholly suspended for three years on the condition that he does not commit the same offence. On count two, Justice Chris Gabanagae of Gaborone High Court fined him P50, 000 or five years imprisonment should he default, whilst on count three, he was fined P80, 000 or eight years imprisonment, should he default.
Morupisi was further given 90 days to pay whilst the Toyota Land Cruiser, which was proceeds of crime, was forfeited to the State. Facing a possible jail term if the CoA deems fit, Morupisi armed with a new attorney on Wednesday before the panel requested a chance to motivate his submissions on why his sentence should not be varied and why it would not be practical to be given a jail term. During his attorney Obonye Jonas’ submissions, the judges engaged extensively with him pointing out that they were having a hard time with the court a quo sentence as they did not know what informed his decision. The defence lawyer whilst conceding that his client was a pensioner, on count one of corruption where the maximum fine is P5000 or three years imprisonment or both, he promised to his client will pay a maximum fine of P5, 000, for count two of corruption with a maximum fine of P500, 000 or 10 years imprisonment or both, he promised the client will afford P250,000 and on the third count of money laundering it imposes a maximum fine of P20 million or 20 years imprisonment or both they client promised prayed to pay a fine of P300, 000. “We have difficulty with the High Court sentence because the judge did not apply himself and give reasons as to how and why he arrived at the sentence he gave out,” said Justice Nkabinde.
