BDP supports prosecution of wrongdoers

Kgosietsile Ngakaagae, the defense lawyer in the P250 million money laundering case, has dismissed Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) as a “useless entity” that only goes after” petty thieves while real criminals” are left to carry on with their day to day business.

Ngakaagae is defending Bakang Serese of Khulaco (Pty) Ltd, Botho Felicia Leburu and Kenneth Kerekang in the high stakes money laundering case in which the country’s spy agency, Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DISS), is also implicated.

A clearly annoyed Ngakaagae has told court that his clients were “not supposed to be here,” adding that he would certainly be applying for a review of the DCEC decision to charge his clients only.

“We want Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security Dr Obakeng, Director General of Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DIS) Isaac Kgosi and other senior government officials to be in the dock- they have to be charged,” he told the court. Reacting to this development, Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Secretary General Mpho Balopi challenged investigation institutions among them DCEC to develop a thick skin. Balopi this week indicated that they want DCEC to investigate independently and without fear.  “This is why we created these agencies so that Batswana could have confidence on government of the day. Since Independence there has never been change of Government. “As BDP we do not want to have a bad name only- we want to take responsibility for the bad, the good and the ugly. We do not want any interference. We are not hiding anything and would not want anything to be hidden,” he said. 

He said if the ruling party had anything to hide they could have simply not come up with “such institutions as DCEC and Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA)”. The BDP secretary general said they created these institutions for transparency and accountability. According to Balopi there has to be investigations and those who are found to have been on the wrong side should be prosecuted in accordance with the law. He said if interference that hinders the institutions from executing their mandate exists then it should be noted that the BDP led government does not condone such acts.