Two Deputy Sheriffs, Anthony Marman and Kenneth Mbiganyi, will appear before Francistown Magistrate facing fraud charges.
The two allegedly connived to forge Kgotso Moatswi’s signature on court summons in order to acquire a warrant for his arrest.
The duo was engaged by Lizzy George to collect a P1 000 debt, which Moatswi owed her.
Speaking of the abuse that he suffered at the hands of the sheriffs, Moatswi said he received a call from Mbiganyi asking him to come to their office and pay the debt.
To his shock, when he got there, Marman and Mbiganyi handcuffed him before showing him a warrant for civil imprisonment.
“They demanded that I pay P3 470, including their costs, on the spot, or otherwise go to prison for six months. I was humiliated in front of my wife and parents until I called a loan shark to borrow money which I have to pay back with 30% interest. I was shocked how we arrived at that stage because I was never served with summons or notice. I once received a call from my mother when I was in Gaborone, telling me that the sheriffs brought summons. I had never signed any papers proving that I was served so i was suspicious that the two guys might have prepared the summons and signed them, forging my signature,” said Moatswi.
He told of how he then went to court to enquire about the warrant only to find documents which he was purported to have ‘signed’ after he was served, which in actual fact he had never seen.
He said it later turned out that Mbiganyi had signed the papers, faking his signature, and he therefore opened a fraud case and demanded his money back, plus interest.
“After the conclusion of the fraud case, I will sue the two sheriffs for defamation of character,” Moatswi said.
When reached for comment, Mbiganyi said he had been trying to persuade Moatswi to settle the matter outside court but he was not willing to do that, insisting that they will meet in court.
Asked if he faked the complainant’s signature, Mbinganyi said he was not in a position to discuss the matter because it was still before court.
The matter will be heard before Magistrate Ngebani on October 12th.
