BDF brigadier fight expulsion from the army
Mpho Mokwape | Monday March 23, 2015 18:00
The board of enquiry was convened to investigate the allegations of adultery between Magosi and Keitumetse Kebaswele, the spouse of Corporal Thero Kebaswele.
The board was also to report on whether Magosi and Keitimetse Kebaswele had meetings previously or continued to hold meetings. If they had or continue to have meetings whether the meetings are or were held in public or in private and for what purpose and intent. It was to report whether there was any form of communication between the parties and if so, the nature of the communication.
The board was to report whether Magosi and Keitumetse were aware of the marital status of each other and whether Magosi was aware that the woman was the wife of a fellow BDF soldier.
When the board was supposed to proceed on March 18, 2015, Magosi through attorney Dick Bayford rushed to court to stop the proceedings because the board did not provide cellphone records between the affected persons for the month of January 2015.
Earlier during the board of enquiry, Bayford had submitted that the board should make an order to Mascom and be Mobile networks to provide cellphone records of Magosi and Keitumetse for the aforementioned month.
On Thursday Justice Bengbame Sechele granted the order in favour of Magosi against the BDF and Keitumetse. Sechele ordered that the investigations by the BDF board be suspended until Magosi’s request for cell phone records from be mobile and Mascom has been concluded.
End Game For Army General
Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Chief of Staff, Peter Magosi who last year thwarted investigations against himself by the army for some missing spying equipment, has his army career hanging by the thread, this time over allegations of having sex with a woman married to a fellow soldier, against the BDF code of conduct.
Those in the know say with this latest charge on his head, the brigadier’s expulsion from the army is imminent, especially after the woman’s confessions, although Magosi’s lawyers have been arguing that their client was set up.
Observers say top government officials may have finally closed in on the army general who last year caused security embarrassment when top security secrets were laid bare in the local media when the army general was being investigated for some missing spy equipment. The investigations left government top brass with egg on the face as the names of the then Permanent Secretary to the President, Eric Molale, now Minister of Presidential Affairs, as well as the director general of the Directorate on Security and Intelligence Services (DIS),
Isaac Kgosi, the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Commander, Gaolatlhe Galebotswe, and President Ian Khama, were all mentioned with regard to the missing spy equipment. The matter even reached the courts before the BDF negotiated an out of court settlement.
In the latest episode a private lodged charges against the brigadier after his wife confessed to a night of sex romp with the general at his farm, and now the BDF board was about to hand down their findings on the matter, when the general postponed the process with an urgent court order requesting for additional documents he hopes could set him free.
Magosi joined the BDF as an officer cadet some 29 years ago and holds two master’s degree in Defence studies and Strategic Studies. He has been key figure at the BDF’s Military Intelligence, where he has been deputy chief and assistant chief before he was made commander of the 1st infantry Brigade. He is currently the Chief of Staff, Joint Operations at the BDF Headquarters.