FRANCISTOWN: The judicial sentence that was given to the former Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP), Carter Morupisi, was very “lenient”.

Morupisi was convicted and given a two-year suspended sentence after he was found guilty of money laundering and two counts of corruption. His wife, Pinny Morupisi and her company R7 Group Limited were discharged and acquitted.

Morupisi was also ordered to pay a fine of P50,000 or in default go to prison for five years for the charge of abuse of office.

For the money laundering charge, Morupisi was ordered to pay a fine of P80,000 or in default go to prison for eight years. The ‘leniency’ sentiment was shared by the president of Botswana Land Boards and Local Authorities and Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU), Thatayaone Kesebonye at the union’s triennial elective congress on Friday at Adansonia Hotel.

When giving his keynote address, Kesebonye decried the low productivity in the public service which he said was a result of low morale. Kesebonye attributed the status quo to government paying lip service to the service conditions of workers. On another note, Kesebonye said that although he respects the decisions of the courts, he is of the view that the suspended sentence that was recently given to Morupisi for money laundering and corruption was very lenient. In his view, the sentence that was given to Morupisi was a slap in the face of taxpayers and would not deter other would-be criminals in future to commit similar offences. Kesebonye said that according to Transparency International (Corruption Perceptions Index), Botswana’s corruption index has been decreasing in the last few years, a situation he said needs to be addressed urgently.

“Morupisi should have been given a prison sentence to deter others from committing similar offences in future. The sentence that he was given shows that influential people in society can commit crimes knowing fully well that they will be fined and not go to jail,” Kesebonye said.

“On the other hand, public workers like me and you will surely go to jail for minute offences. The judge should have sent Morupisi to jail to send a very strong message to society that the law will not be lenient on people who commit corruption on a grand scale.”