09 Oct 2022

Office of the Receiver, which is responsible for preserving and maintaining assets confiscated as proceeds of crime, is in possession of property valued at over P230 million.

This was disclosed by assistant receiver, Mr Ishmael Molobe when addressing a Ghanzi District Council virtual meeting recently.

Mr Molobe said the assets included undeveloped plots, developed residential and commercial property, cash, vehicles and livestock including over 500 cattle.

He explained that the cash was in different currencies ranging from Botswana Pula, South African Rand, American Dollar to Japanese Yen.

“We also have frozen bank accounts, MyZaka and Orange money accounts,” he said explaining that some money  had  been concealed in the last two.

Mr Molobe cautioned that every bank transaction of P10 000 and above was automatically red-flagged and sent to the Financial Intelligence Agency for investigation.

He pointed out that there were people who lived beyond their means from proceeds of crime.

However, people living below their means could be sponsoring acts of crime and should also be investigated, said Mr Molobe.

Though the Office of the Receiver executes court orders to seize and manage both movable and immovable property, he explained that forfeiting the property to the state was not conviction-based but based on proof of balance of probabilities that the property was proceeds or instruments of crime.

He said the office was responsible for preserving the value of property in its possession.

It administers the confiscated assets, trust fund and an interest-bearing account, said Mr Molobe. Ends