… Parley told file with possible new charges passed to DPP
Minister Shamukuni says justice will be done
Isaac Kgosi, the embattled former Director General of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DISS), will face corruption charges anytime from now; if what Parliament has been told comes to pass.
His file has been handed over to the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP); which will add to other charges that he is already facing for exposing the identity of DISS agents. He appeared in court this week where Village Magistrate recused himself and referred the matter to Broadhurst Regional Magistrate to be heard on April 11.
The once powerful and feared man looked humbled and defeated as he appeared in court. It is highly anticipated that when the ongoing National Petroleum Fund (NPF) P250m money laundering case resumes in court, his name will be added.
Kgosi’s omission from prosecution in the NPF case involving Bakang Seretse and company had unleashed favouritism outcry though it was suspected that he was to be used as a state witness in the case.
One of the co-accused Kenneth Kerekang and Bakang Seretse’s attorney Kgosi Ngakaagae has had constantly demanded the prosecution to charge Kgosi for his involvement in the NPF money laundering scandal as well.
Seretse has divulged in his affidavit that the P250 million transaction was at the written instruction of Kgosi.
On Tuesday the assistant Minister of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration Machana Shamukuni said Kgosi only awaits his prosecution by the DPP, noting that his file has been handed to DPP by the Directorate of Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC).
Shamukuni was answering question from the MP for Jwaneng/Mabutsane Shaun Ntlhaile who wanted an update one progress made in investigations of several corruption-related matters concerning Kgosi.
The assistant minister confirmed that the corruption investigations have been completed with action awaited from DPP to lay charges against Kgosi and prosecute him accordingly.
He also stressed that Kgosi will be prosecuted without any favour or fear by the DPP, adding that the DCEC has one investigation file for Kgosi.
“If … there is a need for him to go to jail as per the DPP prosecution he will definitely not escape jail for the crimes he committed as investigations conducted by the DCEC articulates. His case is near completion with DPP being the major driver at the moment,” Shamukuni charged.
DCEC sleeps on the job
MPs expressed displeasure at the way DCEC takes time to deal with the investigations which creates backlog of cases and urged drastic steps.
Shamukuni has revealed that between January 2017 and December 2017 the DCEC received total number of 1 174 reports with 352 classified for investigations. He said in 2017 only 38 investigation files out of 352 classified investigations were completed and forwarded to DPP for prosecution.
He said a total of 1 058 cases were reported to the DCEC in 2018 with 279 already classified for investigations. Out of the 279 cases 20 investigations were completed and forwarded to DPP for prosecution.