DIS exonerates Sebina brothers from corruption

The Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) Director-General Peter Magosi has exonerated the Sebina brothers from corruption following allegations he has been levelling against them for over three years.

Magosi stated in an affidavit filed in court in 2019 that he was investigating the brothers for being alleged associates of ex-DIS boss, Isaac Kgosi.

“Kindly be advised that following investigations by law enforcement agencies, the below companies owned by Kegone Sebina, Tshepho Sebina and Ewetse Sebina, also known as ‘Sebina Brothers’ have been granted security clearance by the Directorate of Intelligence and Security,” Magosi wrote on October 5 in a correspondence to all financial institutions being the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) and the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIS).

He listed the companies belonging to the brothers as Estate Construction, Tshepho Tiles, Asphalt Botswana and Banco Enterprises. The latest security clearance to the Sebina brothers came as a relief as they were ‘unfairly targeted’ by the ‘all-powerful’ Magosi for allegations he could not prove even in a court of law after he managed to search and seize the company properties of the aforementioned brothers. Extension 2 Principal Magistrate Batho Kgerethwa had to rescind the warrant of entry, search, and seizure against the brothers in February 2020 a year after it was issued in favour of the DIS. The latter was ordered to return all documents and properties seized from their business premises pursuant to the order of February 2019 immediately. She reasoned that the DIS has not divulged any information, which would assist the court to indicate the link of the documents and other properties seized with the offences of threat to national security or any other offence in the Act.

According to Kgerethwa, the DIS had the opportunity to update the court and even the applicants on the progress of the investigations but failed to do so, except to say investigations are ongoing. The warrant of entry, search and seizure was also rescinded because initially the DIS was granted the order properly but when given an opportunity to account for its action, the agency only said that its investigations are ongoing thus disregarding the prejudice suffered by the applicants. It is not clear if the Sebina brothers will pursue any civil claims against the government after their names and company reputations were ruined by the investigations. “The Sebina Brothers could not win some of the tenders because they were tarnished by the DIS and painted as corrupt. They also lost access to loan facilities from the banks because of the same reason,” one source close to the developments said.

Efforts to reach the Sebina brothers to establish their chosen way forward were futile as they did not respond to inquiries from this publication before the paper went to bed.

Magosi awards Sebina brothers security clearance Three years of alleged corruption investigations end as

futile exercise

DIS ‘okays’ government to do business with companies associated with the

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