Beleaguered and leading Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) activist Isaac Seloko is facing civil imprisonment after the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) applied for his imprisonment.
According to court papers, BHC approached the court after he failed to pay the housing corporation more than P33 000.
The papers state that BHC deputy sheriff was to “command Isaac Seloko that justly and without delay it render and pay to Botswana Housing Corporation P33.804.30 of lawful money, which he owes to the Plaintiff (BHC) upon and by virtue of a certain sentence of the High Court of Botswana at Lobatse bearing date of 13th August 2015 together with cost on execution thereof.”
The papers added that the “said sentence has been carried into execution and a return date since made thereon that no goods or chattels of the said judgement debtor could be found whereof the exigency of the said writ of any part thereof could be made.”
He was also to show cause “if any, why a writ of personal attachment shall not forthwith be decreed to issue against the person of the said Defendant (Seloko) to have effect and hold good until the has paid the said Plaintiff (BHC) the sum of P33,805.30 together with cost on execution thereof.”
According to the order issued by Acting Lobatse High Court Judge Dr Godfrey Radijeng Seloko “is imprisoned for a period of 90 days or until such time as he shall have paid to the Plaintiff (BHC) the sum of P33,804.30 plus costs of execution thereof.”
The order also states that “execution of the order in paragraph 2 above (relating to imprisonment) is suspended for 90 days on condition that the Defendant’s effect full payment of the judgement debt, interest plus costs.”
Seloko is a former Chairperson of the Directorate of Security and Service. His resignation was forced by a successful Sunday Standard application to the High Court. The paper lodged a complaint with the Tribunal about the manner in which the Director General of the Directorate of Intelligence Services, Isaac Kgosi, had handled their request to gain access to a report about a cartel that controls Botswana’s construction industry.
The paper challenged Seloko’s bonafides as a practising lawyer because the Law Society of Botswana had struck him off its roll.
Seloko’s law firm has since been struck of the roll by the Botswana Law Society after it was accused of non-compliance.