Justice Ministry ‘assisting’ Botswana in Motsepe-Radebe, Khama case
Justice Minister Ronald Lamola has confirmed receiving a request from AfriForum for assistance in the money-laundering case involving Bridgette Motsepe-Radebe and former Botswana president Ian Khama.
Botswana’s director of public prosecutions appointed the lobby group to sue Lamola, International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) over the South African government’s alleged failure to respond to a request for mutual legal assistance.
Motsepe-Radebe and Khama are accused by the Botswana government of stealing US$10 billion from the Botswana Reserve Bank to help finance a coup in that country.
Justice and Correctional Services spokesperson Chrispin Phiri says a request for mutual legal assistance are normally done through diplomatic channels.
"Under normal circumstances, each state usually appoints a central authority to receive assistance requests and the central authorities communicate with each other directly and forward the requests for assistance to the competent authority in their respective states.
"The enlisting of the assistance of a non-governmental organisation (AfriForum) to deal with such matters which are purely of a diplomatic and bilateral nature is unprecedented.”
LISTEN TO CHRISPIN PHIRI HERE:
Phiri says the department has been communicating directly with Botswana.
"To this end the Republic of Botswana, through these established channels of communication, has indicated that, on this matter in particular, a new request will be made. This new request has not been received yet.”
