Fake PRDP licence lands taxi-man in trouble

BONTE SEEPI
Correspondent | Thursday May 30, 2013 00:00

Constable Thebeyame Lebogang, a traffic officer at Francistown Police Station told the court that the accused was driving a Toyota Corolla and transport personnel Isaac Motlotlegi stopped him and demanded a driver's licence and a passenger permit.  'Later Motlotlegi brought the accused to me and he told me that he suspected that Mosinyi's permit was not genuine.  We examined the permit together and realised that it was written PRPD instead of PRDP and it was also written Section 109 of RTZ instead of Section 109 of RTA,' explained Lebogang.Another traffic officer, Inspector Samuel Masole testified that he examined the PRDP licence and realised that it was not genuine.  He then called the accused to his office and asked him questions about it.

'Mosinyi then told me that he had a PRDP licence before.  After it expired, he went to Transport Department to renew it.  He said he was told to pay P1,800 that he failed to raise.  Mosinyi said he then met another man, Bojosi Kephaketse who offered to make a PRDP for him and he charged him P800.  He said after a while, Kephaketse gave him a PRDP licence,' explained Masole.He said he then called Kephaketse, a taxi driver, who denied making PRDP licences.  Masole said he therefore cautioned the accused about the charge and told him that he was opening a case of uttering false documents against him.  He then took the PRDP licence to the Department of Printing for further investigation.

A witness from Government Printing and Publishing Services in Gaborone, Shini Jackson Kwape, testified that he examined the PRDP and found so many anomalies.'My office is the only office that prints government stationary including drivers licences except Botswana Pula and passports.  Therefore Mosinyi's PRDP is not part of our documents.  It has not been printed by government printers,' Kwape said. Mosinyi afterwards told the court that he was not aware that his PRDP was not genuine.  He asked the prosecution to bring Kephaketse, the alleged forger to court.  Bagopi ruled that Masole should avail Bojosi in court when the trial continues on June 24.  Mosinyi appeared in person.  Ogolotse Tampa from the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) represented the state.