05 Nov 2019

Former director general of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DIS), Isaac Kgosi is scheduled to return to the country by the end of November, his lawyers told the Broadhurst Magistrate Court on November 5.

Briefing the court, Kgosi’s lawyers, Thabiso Tafila and Unoda Mack presented a letter from Kgosi’s Malaysian doctors to the effect that he had received specialist treatment on October 28, and was deemed to be in a position to travel back to Botswana by late November.

Mr Tafila confirmed to the court that he had personally made contact with his client after receiving the letter, which was copied to the state, and said Kgosi confirmed that he would be returning to the country, though he still had to observe some conditions due to his medical state.

Acting for the state, Thato Dibeela of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions confirmed receiving the communication to the effect that Kgosi would return to the country and said they had met the defence to discuss the way forward.

The two sides agreed to proceed to have a pre-trial conference in order to agree on different areas ahead of a full trial, and then have a case management conference (pre-trial meeting between the magistrate, prosecution and defence) which Broadhurst magistrate Masilo Mathaka set for December 3.

It would be then that date for the full trial will be set.

Kgosi faces trial for disclosing the identity of DIS agents and obstructing them in their course of duty early this year.

He has been out of the country supposedly for medical reasons, since he left through the Ramotswa border gate to South Africa last May 28, before flying to Malaysia in early June after being referred for specialist treatment for recurring lower back pain.

Kgosi’s absence was successfully challenged by the prosecution in court, which felt he was flouting his bail conditions, which stipulated that he reports monthly to the Broadhurst police station.

The defence insisted that they had always communicated Kgosi’s whereabouts through official letters from his specialist in Malaysia, who claimed that the former spy chief needed months of specialist treatment and rest in the Asian state to before returning to Botswana.

But, since his travel documents indicated that he had been able to travel to other countries including Israel, the court had not been convinced that Kgosi was not in a position to travel back to Botswana since he left on May 28.

As such the warrant of arrest the state wanted was granted on July 21, and reinstated in early August after being unsuccessfully challenged by Kgosi’s legal team.  ENDS