26 Apr 2016

A 42-year-old man has been found guilty on three counts of obtaining by false pretences and two in which he impersonated individuals employed in the public service.

Maiba Mosotho from Gudigwa in the North West District appeared at the Kasane Magistrate Court on Friday following an arrest on April 11.He was alleged to have obtained an amount of P12 000 from a public service employee, claiming to be an officer from the Office of the President (OP) based in Gaborone.

Mosotho had promised the said Mr Chikuni Situmbeko, who is an employee in the public service, that he would assist him obtain a loan amounting to P4.5 million from Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA).

He also made subsequent calls to Mr Situmbeko impersonating the President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama’s voice and telling him that he needed to pay an amount of P12 000 for his CEDA loan to be granted.

Using a government vehicle, Mosotho also went to Kazungula clinic on April 8 and impersonated an employee from OP that he had been mandated to make an inspection of the condition of the clinic.He allegedly promised the staff that a new and bigger clinic was to be built during this financial year, whilst in fact and in truth he knew that such representation was false.

During cross examination, the accused agreed to all the offences that were alleged against him and he pleaded guilty to all of them.

Magistrate Gofaone Morweng found him guilty and demanded that he await his judgement in custody, while the prosecution collected his fingerprints before sentencing. ENDS