Two suspects, accused of defrauding Mascom Wireless of about P5 million, have been charged with 11 counts of theft.
Last Friday, the two, 36-year-old Kinsley Kebalepile and Lady Tausane, 36 and an intelligence officer with the Botswana Police, were dragged to the Gaborone Village Magistrate Court.
The charge sheet states that between 4th October 2006 and 3rd December 2007, Kebalepile and Tausane obtained SIM cards and vouchers worth about P5m from Mascom, falsely claiming that their company had been contracted by Tati Mining Company to supply and install vehicle tracking and monitoring devices to their fleet.
Case prosecutor, Merapeolo Mokgosi, told the court that police investigations conducted by the Serious Crime Squad had been completed and that the accused persons could take a plea.
Kebalepile, the first accused, told the court that he was not ready to take a plea before he got legal advice while, on the other hand, Tausane pleaded not guilty to all 11 counts. Meanwhile, Mokgosi, said that the DPP was ready for the case and 16 witnesses are expected to testify against the accused persons during trial. Mokgosi declined to comment on allegations that Tausane might turn key state witness. “I am not in a position to discuss that with the media and will cross that bridge when we reach there,” she said.
It is alleged that Tausane has indicated to the prosecution that she is prepared to become a state witness because she had been used.
Tausane has not been interdicted from duty.
