Africa-Press – Botswana. The Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) ‘s messy linen is being washed in public as the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) level mortifying allegations against its operations.
The DIS, who has come under the spotlight from the anti-corruption unit for among others alleged corruption and misuse of power, have been allegedly trying to conceal their ‘dirty’ deeds by accessing the investigation files leading to a messy tug of war with the DCEC.
According to filed court documents, the DCEC director, Tymon Katlholo says the spy unit has been allegedly driven by the need to enrich itself over the interest of the security of the country as the agency has allowed its conduct to be influenced by gifts in the execution of duties.
“Our investigation have so far revealed that some received bribes or valuable consideration to show favour or allowed their conduct to be influenced by gifts,” he said.
Katlholo, in his founding affidavit, said the DIS has been abusing its power especially in respect to investigations on cases such as that of Wilhemina ‘Butterfly’ Maswabi.
“Butterfly” was one of the spy unit’s top agents until the unit leveled allegations of masterminding theft of P100 billion against her. But the allegations and charges before court never stuck and her case was dismissed while her investigation file was returned to the DCEC for further investigations. The return of her file was at the order of the then state engaged advocate Gerri Nel who among others said the case was headed for a disaster right from the beginning with so many things not having been done right from the start.
Now that Katlholo has finally shed light on the matter, the DIS might be in fear that the revelation could jeopardise the state especially that Butterfly allegedly wants to sue for malicious prosecution.
The DIS, as Katlholo revealed more, has been accused of interfering with tender proceedings/decisions in five projects under the pretext of national security threat investigations in a way to mask the solicitation of bribe in the said projects.
Katlholo also noted that the DCEC’s investigations have shown that the security (DIS) operatives are in possession of assets not in line with their known sources of income.
“Most are in possession of assets misappropriate to their known sources of income requiring explanation,” he said.
The corruption unit further accused their sister unit of sponsoring leakages of DCEC investigations files pointing out that in their assessment, it will defeat the ends of justice to give access to the DIS such files as most contain sensitive information and that they are not entitled by law to have them.
Meanwhile, the spy unit has been barred from accessing the DCEC files related to their investigation and has been ordered to show cause why the orders should not be made permanent.
The ruling came after the corruption unit’s director-general approached court on urgency seeking an interdict against the spy unit from getting hold of the files.
Contained in the order issued by Justice Reuben Lekorwe of Lobatse High Court is that the files be temporarily stored in a safe at the High Court away from the DIS’s hands.
“A Deputy Sheriff of the court accompanied by the applicant’s attorneys, a representative of the Attorney General and under the escort of Botswana Police Service and more specifically the Special Support Group (SSG) shall attend at the offices of the DCEC and take custody of the documents or records and or the dockets as are demanded by the DISS and in the two offices currently sealed as crime scene, and deposited into court and be held in the custody of the Registrar of the High Court and same placed in a vault and to be opened only by the Registrar or one of her Deputies, Deputy Sheriff of the court, and in the presence of attorneys Monthe, Marumo & Co. and representatives of the AG,” reads the order.
The corruption unit was also allowed to file a supplementary affidavit and the returnable date for the temporary order is June 30, 2022.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
