Deputy PS' car attached to pay legal costs
When Deputy Permanent Secretary for Information in the Office of the President, Mogomotsi Kaboeamodimo tried to sue a newspaper little did he know that he would end up with a huge legal debt.
The debt comes up to R30 000.00 being consultation fees by a South African Advocate plus P10 000-00 legal costs. The legal tussle between Kaboeamodimo and his attorney, Rahim Khan, allegedly ensued after the deputy PS approached Khan with an intention to sue Botswana Guardian for defamation of character in respect of a story the publication ran.
Khan then engaged an advocate from South Africa on behalf of for opinion consultation which cost R30 600.00 plus legal costs. Kaboeamodimo is alleged to have refused to pay the bill as he did not engage the advocate and instead directed Khan to do so. In the process, Khan issued Kaboemodimo with a letter of demand followed by a summons which the deputy PS is alleged to have overlooked only for his lawyer to get a default judgement in the matter at hand.
A memo of attachment from Rahim Khan and company against Kaboeamodimo(which this publication has seen) has resulted in the attachment of his Nissan bakkie2.4 white in colour with registration number plate, B589 ACW at Gaborone on the 11th of May 2016. The case number of the matter as per the documents in possession of this publication is CCMVL-000693-15. The notice of attachment in execution shows that the deputy sheriff has seized and laid under judiciary attachment the articles listed in the attachment.
Thecourt order for the attachment of the bakkie was issued by a Gaborone Village Chief Magistrate on the 21st of March 2016 in a default judgement granted against the deputy PS. The Deputy Sheriff who attached the bakkie Caine Mogorosi confirmed that Kaboeamodimo’s bakkie was attached to pay legal costs but referred this publication to the court. On the other hand, Kaboeamodimo professed ignorance about the memo and the attachment of his bakkie. He could only say that all he knew was that Rahim Khan and company are his attorneys and he does not owe them anything.
“What interest do you have in this issue and how would you feel if I expose you through Botswana Television?’’ he inquired. Pressed further, he promised to call this reporter later. “I will ring you back sometime after 6pm. Am chairing a SADC meeting” At 17:49 hrs on Monday Kaboeamodimo then responded to this publication’s questions through a cell phone text message.“Rra it looks like this meeting will go beyond 630hrs.
The comment I can only make ke gore I have a lawyer client relationship with Rahim Khan and I do not wish to make our relationship a public issue. I have nothing further to say to you,” he stated.
Rahim Khan declined to disclose more about the case between him and Kaboemodimo, insisting that he has an ethical obligation to protect him. “If you want to know the particulars of the claim of the matter, you can get them at the high court,” he said.