14 Apr 2021

 The High Court in Gaborone has set July 30 as the date for the prosecution and the defence teams to file their final submissions in a case that involves former Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP), Carter Morupisi, R7 Group and Pinny Morupisi.

The first accused person (Carter Morupisi) is facing two counts of corruption and is also on another count, jointly charged with R7 Group and Pinny Morupisi on a count of money laundering.  

Prior to setting the date for final submission on Tuesday, Pinny Morupisi, who is the sole director of R7 Group and wife to Carter Morupisi, had told the court in her unsworn testimony that sometime in February 2018, officers from the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) visited her residence, requesting documents of her company vehicle.

She said since she was married in community of property, her husband was responsible for negotiating with Manor Squad Services and paying for the second hand Toyota Landcruiser on behalf of her company. 

She said the three DCEC officers namely Leburu, Motaosane and Setlaboshane interrogated her in relation to purchasing and ownership of the said vehicle. 

Pinny said the DCEC officers seized all the original documents relating to the vehicle namely the blue book, payment receipts and insurance receipts from ION. 

“They never returned the documents. 

After sometime, my husband contacted one of the senior officers at DCEC, Mr Wasetso (now deceased) requesting for copies of the seized documents,” she said.  

Pinny said in March 17, 2018, the DCEC officers visited her again to seize the Landcruiser. 

“They asked me to drive the vehicle to their office and I refused as I could not oblige to their orders without the knowledge of my husband. 

Eventually, I gave them the vehicle keys and they drove away,” she said.

She further told the court that she was shocked by the court ruling in relation to the defence application of no case to answer as it questioned why her husband paid for the vehicle, even though he had no attachment to the company. 

“He did so as my husband. He had the funds to purchase the vehicle. There was nothing wrong with it and I found it fit for him to pay for the vehicle,” she said.

Meanwhile, the defence attorney, Mr Busang Manewe said the defence had wrapped its case after the presentation of unsworn testimony from the accused persons. 

He said the defence team had hinted in the previous court appearance that they would call three witnesses, one of them being Lesedi Moakofhi (former Acting CEO at Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund) to give sworn testimony.

“She has a sworn statement and was listed among the prosecution witnesses, and for reasons better known to them, she was never called. 

Up until Wednesday last week, we have been under the impression that she will testify on our behalf. In our last meeting with her, it appears, she has been intimidated and fear has been instilled in her not to testify,” said Mr Manewe.

In her response, Ms Priscilla Israel of the prosecution said her team had never been made aware of the said witness that the defence was planning to call. Ms Israel, however, confirmed that the prosecution did not call Moakofhi as their witness as she was also charged for corruption. 

“She was supposed to be standing in the dock with the other accused person.  It was only that the decision to charge her was made at the time when this case was ongoing. 

Her case will appear for a status hearing before a magistrate court on July 29,” she said.

Ms Israel said the prosecution had nothing to do with her non-appearance as a defence witness. 

“We never threatened her and we were ready to cross examine her,” said Ms Israel. 

Particulars of the offence are that the first accused, while employed as Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) director, and holding the position of board chairperson for the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF), allegedly on or about November 11, 2014 at or near Gaborone, without the final resolution of the board and in abuse of his public office, allegedly corruptly signed a contract with Capital Management Botswana as private equity managers and in the process obtained valuable consideration for himself and his wife’s company R7 Group.

On the second account, Morupisi is accused to have on or about May 15, 2017 at or near Gaborone, acting together and in consent with wife Pinny in her capacity as R& Group director, received valuable consideration in the form of a gold Toyota Land Cruiser pickup valued at R630 988. 99 for himself and his wife’s company, R7 Group.

On the count of money laundering, Morupisi and wife Pinny, together with R7 Group are alleged to have on or about May 15, 2017 in Gaborone received and converted to their personal use, a Toyota Land Cruiser pickup bought from South Africa. 

It is alleged that they knew or had reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting that the said vehicle registered B587 BEW was derived or bought, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly from the commission of the offence. ends