Sunday, February 9, 2025

DPP withdraws corruption case against Council employees

The Directorate on Public Prosecution has conditionally withdrawn corruption charges against two Southern District Council employees , two Lobatse businessmen and a garage owned by one the accused businessmen on grounds that they do not have sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction.
The accused council employees are Principal Transport Officer, Billy Kgotlhang Mophuting, and Senior Technical Officer, Bias Silabo.

The businessmen are Abdool Qaiyumkhan Rossenkhan, who owns a garage known as Pioneer Auto Services, and Arnold Chimbila, who owns Chima Enterprises.

After the conditional withdrawal of charges, which permits the DPP to reinstate the case at a later date if they so choose, Southern Regional Magistrate Barnabas Nyamadzabo ordered the following that the bail bond in respect of Mophuting and Silabo in the sum of P10, 000 each be returned to them as there was no longer any case against them before the Court.

Nyamadzabo ordered that their travel documents be returned to them and for Chilimba to be given back his Work and Residence permits and that Chima Enterprises’ documents, such as cheque books, be returned to the business.

Charges against them were that Mophuting and Silabo, some time between 1 November and 31 December 2008 in Lobatse whilst employed by the Southern District Council offered to accept for themselves valuable consideration in the form of an Isuzu pick up, double cab vehicle, (Registration number B702 AIM) from Pioneer Auto Services, a company owned by Rossenkhan, as an inducement to award the businessmen tenders for the maintenance and repairs of Southern District Council vehicles.

It was also alleged by the state that Silabo had, some time on 1 January, 2009 and 31 of February, 2009 offered to accept for himself valuable consideration in the make of a BMW saloon vehicle from Pioneer Auto Services as an inducement for him to influence the awarding of tenders for repairing and maintenance of Southern District Council vehicles.

The state further alleged that on 4 July, 2008 Mophuting, Silabo, Rossenkhan and Pioneer Auto Services, represented by Rossenkhan, received P129,063 by fraudulently saying Rossenkhan’s garage, Pioneer Auto Services, had effected repairs in form of brakes overhaul on several council vehicles.

The accused were represented by Sylvester Mhembere of Bayford and Associates.

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