Blessing Mukweni, a Zimbabwean national who is accused of murdering a Tswana Directorate of Intelligence Services (DIS) agent, has turned down a 5 million pula offer from the Botswana Government in a move aimed at silencing him.
He says the whole proposal is fishy.
Mukweni was deported from Botswana in May and declared a Prohibited Immigrant (PI).
He told the Sunday Standard in Harare on Friday that he met with Botswana ambassador and a Political Counselor at the embassy where the fishy offer was tabled.
“They told me that the Botswana government is offering me 5 million pula in cash to have the case dropped. The money had several
conditions attached to it. But I outrightly rejected it,” he said.
After turning down the offer, Mukweni was told that a delegation from Botswana would be in Harare on August 15 to further discuss the issue.
He says it would be difficult for him to accept any amount as that would be defeating justice.
Mukweni said he was told that before accepting the money, he would have to first sign a contract that forbids him to return to Botswana to testify against the government.
“It’s surprising why the Botswana government now wants to sweep the matter under the carpet yet the case was and is highly publisized.
They branded me a criminal and sent me to jail for no apparent reason,” said Mukweni, adding that his reputation has been needlessly destroyed.
However, no comment could be obtained from the Botswana Embassy as telephone lines went un-answered late on Friday.
Mukweni is alleged to have killed Daniel Moilwa, a DIS officer, whilst the officer was on duty at Tshweneng location in Broadhurst.
Two DISS agents raided his Broadhurst house and, during the ensuing struggle to capture Mukweni, Moilwa was shot.
Mukweni was also left with severe injuries and on Friday said he is under extreme pain.
Details as to who pulled the trigger are not clear but Mukweni says he is innocent.
He was deported despite a murder charge pending in court.
He had been in custody awaiting trial for the murder since last November.
Mukweni added that he tried to enquire why the matter could not be heard at the High Court so that he could prove his innocence, but he was informed that the case was over.
Mukweni says he had intended to call an expert witness from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from the United States of America (USA) to analyse some of the exhibits that the state intends using during the trial.
