Motsepe demands P20m from State
South African businesswoman, Bridgette Motsepe is demanding P20 million from the Botswana government in damages for defamation of character. Motsepe who is implicated by the State in a case that involves former intelligence agent Welheminah Maswabi known as ‘Butterfly’ has filed her application before the Lobatse High Court saying the allegations against her were defamatory.
The South African native was fingered by the government for allegedly receiving a considerable about of money that was laundered through both South Africa and Botswana banks.
She was said to have received the money together with ex-president Ian Khama and former head of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security, Isaac Kgosi.
In her application, Motsepe has denied all the allegations and said the government defamed her therefore that is why she is demanding an apology and for the State to desist from publishing any further damning allegations about her.
“The State should tender a public apology and retraction and an undertaking that they will desist from making, and publishing or cause to be published any further defamatory statements,” she said.
According to the notice, the demand’s origin is that Motsepe said she was defamed by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) lead investigator, Juko Hubona in an affidavit he deposed in relation to the case in which Maswabi has been charged with three counts including financial terrorism.
She explained that on October 25, 2020, Hubona deposed an affidavit in opposition of Maswabi’s bail application at the High Court where he made serious accusations against her.
“The allegation in the said charge sheet and Hubona’s affidavit are defamatory of client as they falsely implicate him in theft of large sums of money by virtue of allegedly being a signatory to the accounts used to launder money from the Bank of Botswana.
Motsepe’s application comes in the wake of private investigations revealing that there was no evidence of her being involved in any dealings related to the case.
Before then she had blatantly denied the allegations and promised to sue the State as she refuted allegations that she was involved in money laundering or any fraud.
She then hired private investigators that refuted allegations that she was involved in money laundering, fraud and aiding of coup attempts in Botswana in collaboration with that country’s former president, Khama.
In a recent press briefing that was aired on South African news channels the investigators
revealed that all the allegations were fabricated.
“There is no truth in what is being said, all we could find are lies, fabrications, and nonexistent accounts and non-existent transfers of an unbelievable amount of money.
There is no proof that any of these transactions being talked about happened,” said investigators.Further the investigators revealed that the two companies, Blue Flies and Fire Flies, which Motsepe, Khama, Kgosi and Maswabi are alleged to be signatories to, were also made up and that they did not exist.
Motsepe’s application has Hubona, the Attorney General, and Director of Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DIS, Commissioner of Police and Director of DCEC as respondents.
Meanwhile Khama, Kgosi and Maswabi also served the State with papers suing for defamation of character. Mack Bahuma attorneys represent Kgosi, Maswabi and Motsepe while Ramalepa Attorneys represent Khama.