Gabz cheese boy ‘sees dust’ as DCEC seizes his assets
It doesn’t rain but pours for Bakang Seretse who is being made to dance to the music in alleged corruption claims. This week Directorate of Corruption and Economic Crime officials pounced on his properties to search them and seized some of his assets. From yesterday, Seretse’s property in Extension 11 was placed under judicial restraint and cordoned off, with DISS officials and SSG soldiers guarding the place. The Midweek Sun has gathered that Seretse was handed a court order for 48 hours last week but did not honour it. Thus the DCEC yesterday raided his properties and started searches. Some of his assests believed to be from the proceeds or instruments of crime, which were to also be put under judicial restraint include among many others, cars including a Maserati Ghibi worth P8 million, two Mercedes Benz sedans, Lexus LX, Toyota Rav4, Ford Ranger, Volvo XC 90, Landcruiser 4.5, Toyota hilux, Ford Fiesta, a Subaru station wagon, a VW Polo and a Rolls Royce Phantom estimated to be worth P7 million. Other assets listed include gym equipment, a Rolex watch worth more than P200, 000 as well as farm and gardening equipment, all totalling more than P30 million. The list also includes three properties, two in Gaborone at Extension 11 and Gaoborone West, while one is in Lobatse. Well-known lawyer Kgosietsile Ngakaagae says that his client is a victim of an ugly campaign. He however says that they will fight tooth and nail for justice to prevail and for all the other “guilty” parties in the infamous National Petroleum Fund (NPF) saga, believed to be the most expensive fraud case in the history of Botswana, are exposed. The lawyer and his client threatened to “spill the beans” and to “spoil” 2019 for everybody by exposing other individuals they allege to be involved in corrupt cases, but are yet to do so. Yesterday Justice Omphemetse Motumise denied them the opportunity to challenge the order and asked Ngakaagae and his client to make the appeal in a fresh application. Seretse has been living it up for the past few years, and was known to be a “cheese boy” of note, throwing parties, drinking expensive drinks at parties and clubs, wearing expensive threads, driving expensive cars and was never short of willing female suitors to keep him company, as well as a circle of “friends” with an equal thirst for the finer things in life. But things started going south after he was implicated in the NPF scandal, which played out in a drawn-out court battle. On several occasions following his arrest and trial a few months ago, Seretse went as far as to claim that certain individuals who were protecting themselves were targeting him. The matter was quiet for a while, and the NPF can of worms was opened again this week when the case reared its ugly head again. DCEC officials pounced on his properties and failing to gain access, forced entry on the strength of a court order.