The Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DIS) has been fingered in multiple burglaries at the premises of companies owned by Sebina brothers, which have continued since 2019.
In the latest burglary, which occured on Thursday night at the offices of one of their companies -Estate Construction in Block 3 Industrial, computer servers were destroyed and their hard drives stolen together with several laptops. The Thursday night burglary, which happened just a week after DIS Director General, Peter Magosi, lost a lawsuit over confiscation of Sebina brothers’ assets, follows the same pattern as those that occured last year. The brothers could not comment on the latest incident, saying through their lawyers that they were away on site at Platjaan bridge and that the matter has been reported to the police for investigation.
A closed circuit television (CCTV) footage shows two men breaking into the offices and dismantling the server from which they took some of the hard drives. Three laptops were also reported stolen from the company during the same burglary.
In an interview, Senior Detective James from Broadhurst Police Station confirmed the incident and said that they are investigating the matter. “Yes, the matter was reported to us this morning and our officers are currently at the crime scene to look at the CCTV footage,” he said.
This is not the first time that the offices of Estate Construction were broken into as it happened twice last year in August and September where only items stolen were computers and hard drives. On the 23rd of September 2019 the offices of Tshepo Tiles, a company in which Tshepo Sebina is a General Manager was broken into at night and computers as well as CCTV servers and hard drives were stolen.
In their notice to sue the DISS, Sebina brothers had indicated that the timing of the 2019 break ins and the nature of items stolen raises serious suspicion and concern that they may be targeted. The Sebina brothers have been suspected by the DISS to have links with the former DISS boss Isaac Kgosi and former President Ian Khama.
Kegone Sebina was once taken to task by the Directorate of Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) on suspicion that former DIS Director General Kgosi helped him to secure contracts for the construction of Thune Dam and associated works, water supply pipelines and Molalatau pump station.
Last week Principal Magistrate Batho Kgerethwa ordered that the DISS to return all documents, and properties seized from the Sebina brothers and their companies with immediate effect. She reasoned that the DISS has not divulged any information which would assist the court to indicate the link of the documents and other properties seized with the offences of threat to national security or any other offence in the Act.
According to Principal magistrate DISS had opportunity to update the court and even the applicants on the progress of the investigations but failed to do so, except to say investigations are still ongoing. The warrant of entry , search and seizure was also rescinded because initially the DIS was granted the order properly but when given an opportunity to account for their action they only say that their investigations are still ongoing thus disregarding the prejudice suffered by the applicants. “It has long been recognized in our law that a search warrant constitutes a serious encroachment on the rights of the individual and that careful scrutiny by the courts is therefore required,” she stated.
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