Africa-Press – Botswana. The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crimes (DCEC) may be sitting on chief spy Peter Magosi’s prosecution docket on allegations of abuse of office in the blacklisting of Chinese construction firm China Jiangsu International in 2018.
A leaked document dated 31 May 2022 reveals that the Director General, of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Service (DISS) disregarded expert advice not to terminate and blacklisted China Jiansu International on account of “alleged national security grounds”.
The explosive docket also states that DISS attempted to force DCEC and the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) to facilitate suspension of a payment of P112 million which was an out of court settlement for termination of the Mmamashia Water Treatment Plant Expansion.
The tender had been awarded to China Jiangsu International/Unik Construction Engineering joint venture.
Possible prosecution
Sources close to the developments say prosecution docket REF: 2019/0 has not been handed over to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for possible prosecution.
It is alleged that Tymon Katlholo was suspended as Director General of DCEC just before the file could be handed over to DPP.
Certain former and current members of the DCEC top brass (names withheld) who were a part of the investigation’s unit were said to have been convinced that the case was ready for prosecution.
However, upon being contacted this week, Acting Director General DCEC Tshepo Pilane, briefly said nothing of the sort was before his desk at present and then directed the press to the organisation’s Public Relations Officer, Lentswe Motshoganetsi, who was yet to respond to questions put to him at the time of going to press.
Katlholo mum
On the other end, Katlholo said he was not in any position to discuss affairs of DCEC.
Weeks before his suspension, Katlholo had maintained that the corruption-busting agency had been investigating several high ranking officials for allegations of abuse of office and taking bribes of well over P100 million.
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