The Receiver, a department under the Ministry of Defense, Justice and Security tasked with tailing proceeds of crime has seized more than P118 million that was paid to Dignia Systems, the Israeli company at the center of the P250 money laundering trial, court records seen by Sunday Standard show.
The court documents suggest that at the time that the Directorate of Public Relations (DPP) applied for the money to be to frozen, the Israel Company had not expended the money.
The court order which was delivered by Justice Godfrey Radijeng dated 14 December 2017 show that “the amount of BWP118,945,045.70 telegraphically transferred on 21 November 2017 to Dignia System Limited a company situate at 9 Shenkar St Herzliya in Israel being holders of Account No. 528379 with Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Limited Bank in Israel” was “placed under restraint…” The court order also show that the money was part of the items that “should not be disposed of or otherwise dealt with in any manner whatsoever except, in the circumstances that may be specified in this order or any subsequent order.”
The money was also part of the properties that Court ordered that “all the interested persons, their relatives, agents and or representatives concerned in these properties are hereby restrained and interdicted from disposing of or dealing in any manner whatsoever with any of the properties listed in the order, pending the institution and determination of applicants for a civil forfeiture order and or civil penalty order under Chapter II Part II and Part IV respectively, of the Proceeds and Instruments of Crime Act…”
The Court also ordered that “All the properties listed above are taken control of by the Receiver for the Republic of Botswana and to be managed in accordance the Provision of Section 46(5) and (7) of the Proceeds and Instruments of Crime Act…”
