The Directorate of Public Prosecution is working on freezing all development work on the Gaborone North plot which is at the center of criminal charges against the former Chief Executive of Debswana, Louis Nchindo, his son and Joe Matome.
Reliable sources told The Sunday Standard that the case for suspending all the development work on the disputed plot is to be filed in the Lobatse High Court in the near future with the hope that it will be heard before the criminal charges case comes to an end.
It is reported the move to freeze the plot has been going on since last year immediately after the criminal charges were brought against Nchindo, his son Trevor and two of his former workmates, Jacob Sesinyi and Matome.
The source says that the main reasons for bringing up such an application were simply that the ownership of the plot was currently contested, as such, it would not be in accordance with law to allow developments to continue on such a plot.
Last week, the local press carried an advertisement advising those who have bought plots in the disputed land not to worry as the criminal case has no bearing on their purchase of plots.
Charges which Nchindo, his son and Matome are facing relate to the alleged illegal acquisition of land and are as follows:
That Nchindo had on 5 October, 1997 allegedly gave false information to a person employed in the public being, Victor Rantshabeng, who in turn gave the information to the then Minister of Lands, Jacob Nkate, and was, as a result of that, allocated plot 5570 in Gaborone.
That on 21 December, 2000 he allegedly gave false information to President Festus Mogae
That on 20 March, 2001 he allegedly gave false information to Vice President Ian Khama, then to former minister Boometswe Mokgothu.
That Nchindo then allegedly continued and gave false information to the Cabinet on the 23 of October ,2001.
That Nchindo, his son and Matome are further alleged to have forged a company resolution for a company called Tourism Development Consortium which authorized Nchindo to buy plot 55720 in Gaborone and that they on July 2002 falsely procured for Tourism Development Consortium a title deed for plot 55720.
The accused persons are expected to appear for mention before Gaborone Chief Magistrate Lot Moroka on January 31, 2008.
This will be their first appearance in a case that has already promised to be a very high profile one.
