25 Feb 2020

 

 

Gaborone Chief Magistrate, Linah Mokibe-Oahile has set March 10 as the date for the next status hearing in the case, where former Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DIS), director general Isaac Kgosi is accused of disclosing the identity of DIS agents and obstructing them in their course of duty.

When the case commenced last year, it was handled by Regional South Magistrate Masilo Mathaka, who has since left the post, and with no one yet appointed to that post, the chief magistrate presided over the matter.

During the hearing on Tuesday at the Broadhurst Magistrate Court in Gaborone, defence counsel, Unoda Mack said they requested to be provided with the photographs that the state alleged Kgosi had shared with Mmegi newspaper in order to aid them prepare their defence.

Also, Mack said his client should have his mobile phones that were confiscated by the state to aid in their investigations, handed back.

But state attorney, Thato Dibeela of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said they had not been notified beforehand about the request of the defence, and were thus not in a position to assist in that regard. 

She said they also need a further two weeks to augment their investigations, and as such could not immediately hand back Kgosi’s mobile devices.

Kgosi faces two counts. On the first, he is accused of having taken photographs of two DIS officers between February 18 and 21, 2019 as well as the said officers’ identity cards while they were in an operation and having disclosed such pictures to Mmegi newspaper, which then subsequently published the pictures on February 22.

He is also accused of hindering the said officers in the execution of their duties on February 18, 2019 contrary to Section 23 of the Intelligence and Security Service Act. Ends