Two members of the Botswana Defence Force, two police officers and two civilians are suing the Directorate of Intelligence and Security and Services for P15 million in damages for false detention and torture.
Inspector Seiteketso Mpusetsang, Constable Marumo Ookeditse, Private Tshepho Moile and Private Gideon Otukele, Karabo Motswiri and Tebogo Majama claim that they were falsely detained and tortured by DIS agents on 17th October, 2008.
Particulars of the claim are that Tebogo Majama was arrested on the night of 16 October, 2008 after he had spent the better part of that day downing drinks courtesy of one “Eddie” a confessed support staff of the DIS. The drinking spree came to an untimely end when certain operatives of DIS approached him and accused him of being in the business of selling illegal ammunition.
The operative fished from inside Majama’s motor vehicle a white plastic bag containing some gold metal which they claimed was ammunition. He was then placed in cells at Gaborone West Police Station where he was detained till 18 October, 2008.
What then transpired was that there was a gun that had gone missing from the Gaborone West Police armory. The gun was allegedly taken away from the armory by Inspector Mousetsang with the assistance of Ookeditse. The gun was allegedly used to commit robberies in Molepolole, Ramotswa, and Moshupa.
At the time of investigations, the gun was still missing and the duo was allegedly tortured in a bid to extract a confession from them. While the pair was still being interrogated, one assistant superintendent Phadi, the custodian of the armory keys allegedly stated that no gun was missing from the armory. That he was never asked about this before the duo was tortured.
It is understood that a stock taking of the armory was instituted and all the guns were accounted for.
The two police officers say they were stripped naked, made to lie face down on a piece of cardboard and their hands tied together behind their backs at the elbows with a mutton cloth . Their feet were also tied together and black plastic bags held over their heads to suffocate him.
They were told to raise a finger if they wanted to talk. When they did not confess, a rubber tube was used in the stead of the black refuse plastic back to cover their mouths and noses.
After this failed to produce results, they were allegedly whipped on the soles of their feet using a hose pipe.
The plaintiffs are represented by Tony Masilo.
