DPP instructed to complete probe on Guma, Olopeng

Chief Magistrate of Village Court, Mompati Taolo has instructed the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to complete the investigations of a marathon case involving a company owned by Tati East Member of Parliament, Guma Moyo and Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Thapelo Olopeng.

In June 2015 the DPP, acting on behalf of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), filed an application for the bank accounts of Guma’s company, IRB Transport and those of his business associate Minister Olopeng, to be frozen.

When he became Minister of Youth Sports and Culture, Olopeng sold his shareholding in Executive Closets Lodge in Phase IV Gaborone to Guma. He was paid P3.4 million through a cheque from IRB Transport, a company wholly owned by Guma. It was this cheque that led to Olopeng being enjoined in the application for Guma’s accounts to be frozen.

In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Taolo said the matter has been dragging for a long time and there is a need to wrap up investigations so that another chapter could be opened if there is any. In the previous court appearance, lawyers representing both Guma and Olopeng complained about the delay tactics played by DPP. “DCEC came to this court in a hurry to obtain an order against the respondents and it is surprising that they cannot be rushed to complete their investigations,” argued Doctor Pusoetsi who is representing Olopeng.

In the last court appearance, Moses Kadye, who is representing Guma’s company, said, “When an order of freezing accounts was made they came here running and now that the money they are looking for was not in the accounts, they are dragging their feet.

The bank records were provided as to what the money was used for.” He was responding to a point raised by the DPP that they could not rush them into completing the investigations because of the seriousness of the case.