- Thutlwe apprehended for fraud charges while in court
- Sentenced to 90 days of civil imprisonment
GAZETTE REPORTER
The legal troubles of former Mayor of Gaborone, Kagiso Thutlwe, have worsened.
Thutlwe was arrested by deputy sheriffs shortly after appearing at the Gaborone Village Magistrates Court in Gaborone on fraud charges yesterday (Tuesday).
His arrest follows a warrant for civil imprisonment issued over an unpaid debt of P23,000 owed to consumer loan company, Eco Capital.
Five counts of fraud
Although details of the financial circumstances of the former mayor remain unclear, it is reported that Thutlwe has been unable to settle the debt for an extended period of time.
At the time of his arrest, the former mayor of Gaborone was in court to answer to five counts of fraud.
He, along with Lesego Selelo and Khaulane Kgosietsile, are accused of defrauding Norman Modisane Mongae of P31,600 between December 2022 and January 2023 in Gaborone.
False pretenses
The charges include obtaining P8,000 from Mongae under false pretenses, claiming it was for tax clearance payments for his company, Godimong Consulting Engineering Botswana.
The trio also falsely obtained P3,600 from Mongae, purportedly for a residence permit, and defrauded him of an additional P15,000 by falsely stating that the former mayor’s company had been awarded a tender by the Ministry of Minerals and Energy Resources to supply protective clothing.
Fraudulent tender
Additionally, they presented Mongae with a fraudulent tender document and attempted to defraud him of P90,000, claiming the money was required for a service-level agreement related to the supposed tender.
The court granted the trio conditional bail of P5,000 each, provision of two sureties for the same amount, refraining from interfering with state witnesses, and avoiding further criminal activity.
They are scheduled to appear in court again on 5 December.