17 Feb 2020

Court revokes Morupisi bail, As Case Heads to High Court
GABORONE - Suspended Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP) Carter Morupisi and his wife Pinny were on Monday morning committed to prison pending trial by Chief Magistrate Linah Mokibe-Oahile as she sent their case to the high court for trial per Section 96 of the Criminal Procedures and Evidence Act (CPEA).
State counsel Kentse Molome, who at the previous hearing of the matter on November 12, 2019, had said the state needed until January this year to conclude the investigations, told the court today that the prosecution was now ready to proceed to trial.
First confirming with the defence counsel that all the accused persons in the case had been served with a charge sheet, list of witnesses and other stipulated documentation, Magistrate Mokibe-Oahile pronounced that with provisions of Section 96 of the CPEA satisfied, the matter could proceed to the high court for trial.
In an interview outside court Morupisi’s attorney Busang Manewe said the defence would lodge an urgent application for bail with the high court after his request for an immediate bail hearing was rebuffed in court by Magistrate Mokibe-Oahile.
Having ascertained that the prosecution and defence had held no prior discussions on bail ahead of the hearing on Monday morning, Magistrate Mokibe-Oahile told Manewe that since she had already committed the case to the high court for trial, the bail application should be made there.  The defence acted swiftly to lodge the urgent application there and a bail hearing was set for Monday afternoon at the Gaborone High Court.
Morupisi is facing charges of abuse of office, receiving a bribe and money laundering, with the particulars of offence being that on 11 November 2014, as Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF) board chair, acting without the board’s authority, signed a contract authorising Capital Management Botswana (CMB) to administer BPOPF funds.
He is also alleged to have signed a contract with CMB on behalf of BPOFP on May 11, 2017, and acting together with his wife, having received on behalf of her company R7 Group a Toyota Land Cruiser pickup van.
Further, Morupisi and his wife are also alleged to have laundered proceeds of crime to the amount of R630 988 (P462 260). BOPA

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