The police have completed investigations into the discredited P100 billion conspiracy and will soon refer the case to the DPP for possible prosecution of the masterminds, former President and complainant Ian Khama has revealed
GAZETTE REPORTER
Former President Ian Khama has revealed that police investigations into a perjury complaint he filed against former Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) investigator Jako Hubona have been completed and the matter will now be referred to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for possible prosecution.
Khama told The Botswana Gazette this week that he recently met with police officers for an update on the case and was informed that investigations had been concluded and the file was being forwarded to the DPP.
“I was briefed that the investigations have been finalised and the matter is being referred to the DPP for possible prosecution,” Khama said.
PUNISHABLE OFFENCE
According to Khama, “what was done under that false P100 billion case was malicious and damaging and cannot be left unpunished. It destroyed reputations, strained relations between nations, and undermined public confidence in key state institutions.”
In March 2021, Khama lodged a formal complaint with the Broadhurst Police Station in Gaborone, accusing Hubona of perjury. He alleged that the former investigator had provided false evidence in the infamous P100 billion scandal that implicated Khama himself, former Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) boss Isaac Kgosi, DIS officer Wilhelmina “Butterfly” Maswabi, and South African businesswoman Bridgette Motsepe-Radebe.
SCANDAL
The perjury complaint followed revelations that the P100 billion case, widely publicized as one of Botswana’s biggest financial scandals, was based on evidence that was later dismissed by the courts as “fabricated.” The supposed funds were alleged to have been siphoned from the Bank of Botswana into offshore accounts linked to the accused, but subsequent investigations and judicial findings discredited the claims.
At the time, Khama and his legal team argued that Hubona had knowingly presented false information under oath in his affidavits, thereby committing perjury. The police later escalated the matter to their headquarters due to its sensitivity and the involvement of high-profile figures.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Botswana Police proved unsuccessful by the time of going to press due to tight publication deadlines while Hubona said he was still a state agent and constrained to comment on whether he has been interviewed by the police on the matter.
WILL THE DPP PROSECUTE?
The referral of the case to the DPP marks a new phase in the long-running controversy surrounding the discredited P100 billion allegations. It remains to be seen whether the DPP will move forward with prosecution against Hubona.
Khama said he welcomes the development and hopes justice will finally be served.
“This was a grave abuse of state institutions for political ends,” he said. “It is important that those who lied under oath are held accountable.”
POTENTIAL CASES OF INTEREST
Interestingly, Kgosi Ngakaagae, now serving as the Director of Public Prosecutions, once represented Hubona as his lawyer. He has, however, told this publication that any matter presenting a potential conflict of interest will be referred to the Attorney General or other relevant authorities. Likewise, the newly appointed Attorney General, Dick Bayford, previously acted as Brigadier Peter Magosi’s lawyer in a case involving an investigation by the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) over the alleged disappearance of intelligence surveillance equipment.