14th November 2019
Own Correspondent
A Little known intelligence operative Welheminah Mphoeng Maswabi, appeared at the Broadhurst Magistrate Court briefly today facing 3 charges one of which involves possessing pecuniary resources disproportionate to her present or past known sources of income or assets.
The terrorism charge is not fully explained in the charge sheet and prosecutors from the Department of Public Prosecutors(DPP) would not be drawn into clarifying the charges.
“Investigations are ongoing and those investigations are underway outside of the country,” said Omphemetse Makale, Prosecutor from the Department of Public Prosecutors(DPP) today.
State prosecutors aver between 1st December 2018 and 20th September 2019 in her capacity as one of the signatories of Blue Files(Pty)Ltd Royal Bank of Scotland bank account number 60093232791 domiciled in South Africa, Maswabi facilitated the transfer an amount of US$ 2,950,000.00 to Isaac Seabelo Kgosi who on the 15th January 2019 threatened ‘to commit acts of terror against the Republic of Botswana.’
Maswabi is also charged with making a false statement to an immigration officer in the hope she will obtain a Botswana passport after alleging her name was Lorato Hilton of Omang number 126021313. She has denied all the charges through her lawyer, Unoda Mack.
The case has been postphoned to the 27th November 2019, to allow investigations to continue.
Kgosi shocked many in Botswana, when he threatened to overthrow government in January after he was arrested at the airport on allegations of tax evasion. He has since violated bail conditions by leaving the country for Malaysia for ‘medical treatment’ and is being sought by authorities.
The once feared former spy chief was greeted with an arrested on his return from a trip to Asia and the Middle East, accompanied by his wife and children.
According to papers filed with the Botswana High Court the former Botswana president Ian Khama is alleged to have instructed the country’s central bank to shift over $200-million (P2.2-billion) to secret accounts and later moved the funds to several offshore companies and banks
Maswabi has denied all the charges through her lawyer, Unoda Mack and continues to remain remanded in police custody.
