31 Jul 2019

Chief Justice Mr Terence Rannowane says cases of money laundering are not prevalent in Botswana’s jurisdiction.

Welcoming participants at the bi-annual judiciary conference in Gaborone on July 30, Justice Rannowane said statistics for the past three years revealed a minimal number of such cases.

He said three cases of money laundering and kindred offences were recorded, 43 cases of dealing in habit forming drugs and 45 cases of unlawful importation, possession or acquisition of ivory or tusks.

The chief justice said two cases of unlawful possession, transfer or dealing in rhinoceros’ horn, 42 cases of trafficking in persons, eight cases of promoting trafficking in persons and two cases of smuggling of persons were registered during the period January 2016 - June 2019.

Justice Rannowane said money laundering and corruption shared the same ancestry and genes and were a socio-economic malady with a cancerous effect on the moral fabric of society.

He urged the nation to adopt zero tolerance for money laundering and corruption as the vices were akin to veld fire which could set a blaze on any country’s economy.

Batswana must therefore increase transparency, enhance good corporate governance and impose condign sentences in order to nip the heinous crimes in the bud, he said.

He suggested that a more comprehensive discussion of money laundering be covered in the cause of the conference.

The chief justice said continental bodies had assailed the country’s entities and regulatory bodies for perceived absence or lack of specialised units, lack of capacity, deficiency or lack of understanding of their supervisory role in conducting money laundering and terrorism financing investigations.

Justice Rannowane assured delegates that the judiciary would  play its role in ensuring that money laundering and related offences were appropriately and expeditiously dealt with.

On other issues, he thanked government for the delivery of new vehicles for High Court judges to ensure their safety and comfort.

He also expressed appreciation for the restructuring of the judiciary which entailed approval of  positions of chief registrar at Salary Scale F0, Court of Appeal, registrar, registrar of the High Court and office of the master, all at F1 and chief magistrate at Extension II in Gaborone at E1.

Turning to Administration of Justice staff including court clerks and reporters as well as bench clerks, he said they facilitated the core business of the courts and were therefore critical.

He said the nature of their work required them to work beyond normal working hours, including weekends and public holidays adding that if officers opted for days off in lieu of overtime, court business would grind to a halt.

Justice Rannowane said the Directorate of Public Service Management was being engaged for the consideration of commuted overtime allowance where a percentage would be factored into their salaries, with the same dispensation extended to judges’ drivers. ENDS