KHAMA THREATENS TO SUE STATE
Former president Ian Khama is demanding a public apology and P25 million in damages. Khama says failure to meet his demands will lead to him instituting legal proceedings against the State
Former president Ian Khama has launched legal proceedings against the State demanding P25 million in damages for ‘defamation of character’.
Khama states through his lawyers that his demands relate to the defamatory statements made by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) lead investigator Jako Hubona. The investigator had accused Khama of siphoning off billions of pula in State funds. According to court papers, the former president has cited the Attorney General, Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Director General [Directorate] of Intelligence and Security (DIS) and the DCEC lead investigator, Hubona.
Khama says he intends to institute legal proceedings against the State if his demands are not acceded to after a month’s lapse following the date of receipt of the demand letter.
“Our client wants you to publicly apologise for, and retract the allegations contained in the Hubona affidavit. To provide him with an undertaking that it will desist from making, publishing or causing to be published any further defamatory allegations,” the letter reads.
The ex-president said the reports that are contained in the Hubona affidavit in relation to him are entirely baseless and false.
Khama said the Hubona affidavit implicates him in money laundering and indirectly financing terrorism.
In addition, Khama said Bank of Botswana has publicly denied that it is missing any public funds and the South African Reserve
Bank also confirmed that it had no records of approving an alleged transfer of $48 million into South Africa on February 21, 2019 as alleged in the Hubona affidavit.
He said the companies that allegedly hold the South African accounts, namely Blue Files and Fire Flies, do not exist.
He continued: “Ambassador Bridgette Motsepe-Radebe wrote to the relevant banks/financial institutions with a South African presence for confirmation that the Blue Files and Fire Flies bank accounts, in which the Hubona affidavit alleges some of the money is held, do not exist and, accordingly that she cannot be a co-signatory thereto. Allan Gray, First National Bank, Absa Bank, Standard Bank, Bidvest Bank, Investec and CitiBank confirmed that the alleged bank accounts do not exist and/or the ambassador is not a signatory thereto”.