Monday, December 11, 2023

Judge rejects pleas for Masisi to testify in NPF case

Gaborone High Court Judge, Godfrey Radijeng, has dismissed an application in which accused persons in the National Petroleum Fund (NPF) case seek President Mokgweetsi Masisi enlisted to testify on the alleged P250 million money laundering marathon case.

In his short ruling, judge Radijeng said he will provide reasons during later in the week as to why Masisi should not take a witness stand.  

Attempts by defense lawyer Kgosietsile Ngakaagae to have Masisi on the witness box failed, as Judge Radijeng dismissed his applications.

The applications dismissed were where Ngakaagae had argued and requested the court to stop the state from providing some further affidavits of some officers from the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and Directorate of Corruption and Economic Crime. (DCEC)

The judge also dismissed an application in which the defense lawyer had argued that the state had filed forfeiture application out of time.

But the judge did not provide reasons and promised to provide them at a later stage.

Ngakaagae had wanted Masisi, Minister Eric Molale and some top government officials from the Ministry of Minerals to take a witness stand but this did not work on his favour as the court threw out his applications.

According to court records, the NPF case started in November 2017 where Bakang Seretse, Kenneth Kerekang and others were accused of fraud, giving false information to a public officer and abuse of office.

During investigations in the matter, former cabinet Minister Sadique Kebonang and High Court judge were included in the matter.

Later last year former Directorate of Intelligence Services (DIS) director Isaac Kgosi was listed as an accused person.

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