The State is yet to pronounce whether or not to auction businessman Bakang Seretse’s properties worth more than P60 million following a High Court ruling that they are proceeds of crime.
The government revealed last week that it has not yet taken a decision as to what to do with the property alleged to be proceeds of crime that were seized from Seretse worth about P60 million.
The Office of the Receiver under whose portfolio the seizure of property falls under told The Telegraph that it would guide government as to what to do with the properties – whether to auction or distribute them among ministries where they could be needed.
Speaking to this publication last week, The Receiver Bafi Nlanda described the forfeited property as one of the largest proceeds of crime under the custody of his office.
He added that it is the second time that government has forfeited such a huge property since his office was established about three years ago.
“It is true that this might be the second time that government has forfeited since my office was established about three years ago,” he told this publication.
He agreed that the matter regarding Seretse’s properties has not yet been finalised by the Court of Appeal as Seretse had shown his intention to appeal the judgment delivered by the High Court Judge Omphemetse Motumise.
“If it happens that he loses the appeal, the state will then decide what to do with the said properties therefore I do not want to pre-empt what is likely to happen,” said Nlanda.
Meanwhile Nlanda said the first time his office was involved in forfeiture of properties worth millions of pula believed to be proceeds of crime was when his office seized more than 30 residential plots allegedly allocated illegally around Francistown.
He explained that what happened was that some of the houses were constructed and rented out to unsuspecting members of the public adding that they are still being rented by the individuals.
“It is of paramount importance that my office has to take care of any properties that happen to be under our care so that those properties do not lose their value,” he said.
He added that maintaining the value of these properties helps when government decides to put them up for auction as both the government and the ‘customer’ get value for money.
Government has not yet decided what it will do with those plots particularly those which have been developed, he said. But he said the plots are likely to be returned to the relevant ministry that deals with land.
Nlanda stated that at the moment he was not in a position to disclose the amount of money that his office seized as proceeds of crime.
“What should be noted is that the bank account has a considerable amount of funds,” he said.
In 2018, Francistown High Court judge Lot Moroka convicted four former employees of the Department of Lands who had formed a criminal syndicate that sold land to scores of complicit buyers within Francistown and Kasane. They were each ordered to pay Botswana Government P700 000.
Scores of the complicit buyers in the land scam have forfeited all their properties to the state subject to the restraining order of September 17, 2017 which interdicted the buyers from disposing of the properties pending final determination of the application before the court.
The four former employees are Priscilla Ursula Mokgokong, Julius Selemogwe, Reuben Tshule and Terrence Modikwe.
