Former Cabinet minister and Botswana Democratic Party President Mpho Balopi and seven other accused persons are expected to appear before the Gaborone Regional Magistrate’s Court on charges arising from an alleged P5 million fraud involving the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA).
The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) announced on Friday that the accused would be arraigned before Regional Magistrate Mareledi Dipate on September 16, 2026.
The accused are Native Outdoor (Pty) Ltd, Native Impressions (Pty) Ltd, Balopi, Stess Engineering (Pty) Ltd, Thomas Sidney Sharpe and Keysource (Pty) Ltd, together with Keysource directors Tshepiso Innocent Makgoeng and Duncan Mothusi Gaolebogwe.
According to the DCEC, the case comprises two counts of fraud, one count of attempting to obtain by false pretences and four counts of money laundering.
The fraud charges were brought under Section 342A of the Penal Code, while the charge of attempting to obtain by false pretences was laid under Section 389, read with Section 308 of the Penal Code.
The money laundering charges were brought under Section 47(1)(b) of the Proceeds and Instruments of Crime Act.
The DCEC said its investigations allege that, in February 2023, the accused defrauded CEDA in relation to a project-specific loan.
The agency allegedly approved and paid the loan, but the project for which the money had been provided was not implemented.
“Charges arise from investigations which allege that, in February 2023, the accused persons defrauded the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency for a project-specific loan which was in fact paid, but the intended project was not implemented,” the DCEC said.
The anti-corruption agency further alleges that, in December 2023, some of the accused attempted to obtain P1,399,810.56 from CEDA by submitting fraudulent documents as proof of payment for services they claimed had been rendered.
The DCEC also claims that the accused carried out a series of financial transactions involving funds allegedly obtained from CEDA.
Investigators suspect that the money was the proceeds of crime and allege that the transactions were intended to conceal, disguise or transfer the funds.
The DCEC said it remained committed to conducting impartial investigations and strengthening accountability and good governance.
