The interdicted Deputy Director at the Local Government ministry, Masego Mooketsi, on Friday appeared briefly before the Gaborone Village Magistrate Court at which her plea was reserved until next year.
The outgoing prosecutor at the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Samantha Mbikiwa, told the court that Mooketsi should not take the plea because there are still issues that both the prosecution and the defense had to discuss.
She, however, would not reveal to the court what those issues were.
Mbikiwa said that she will hand over the case to another prosecutor as she will have left the DPP by the time Mooketsi is expected to take her plea.
Extending Mooketsi’s bail, outgoing chief magistrate, Barnabas Nyamazabo, told the court that Mooketsi will appear before a new chief magistrate in February next year.
According to the charge sheet, on the 7th of October 2005 Mooketsi, being the Deputy Director at the Ministry of Local Government and a member of the Ministerial Tender Committee, failed to disclose her interest in the awarded tender of RV Management Consultancy Services, allegedly under the directorship of Morekwe Mokala, a cousin of hers, and participated in the proceedings of the tendering committee.
The second count states that on the 14th of September 2007, Mooketsi failed to disclose her interest in the awarding of a tender to RV Management Consultancy Engineering, a company allegedly under the directorship of Morekwe Mokala, a cousin to Mooketsi.
The Chief Magistrate told the court that, “I have to recuse myself from the case because she was my classmate at the University of Botswana and the case will be heard by another Chief Magistrate.”
Mooketsi is out on bail and her second court appearance is scheduled for the 26th of February next year.
