A principle architect at the Chobe District Council is at the center of investigations conducted by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime on corruption allegations.
Information passed to The Sunday Standard suggests that the DCEC received an accusation that Wanyoika Kiarie, a principal architect with the Chobe District Council, with intent to offer assistance in regard to the award of tender number CH/ARC/22/2008 for the Construction of four Blocks of Flats at Kasane, received from Owhin Estates an amount of P80 000.
The investigation revealed that Chobe District Council advertised the tender, which was opened on the 13th March 2009 and five companies responded.
The investigation further reveals that the tender was analyzed by the Council Quantity Surveyor (QS) and it was a preliminary analysis that primarily concentrated on the bidders’ compliance, financial analysis and technical analysis.
According to the QS’s recommendation, only one company made it to the technical analysis and the recommendation was supposed to be submitted to the Finance and Works Committee for approval.
It is further understood that the tender was never tabled at the Works Committee.
It emerged that after three months, the tender was re-advertised and the next tender opening was on the 9th June 2009. The company that submitted the lowest bid in the first tender opening, which was recommended by the QS, did not win the tender but it was won by a company that was previously disqualified at the financial analysis stage.
The officer allegedly agreed with the contractor to get P30 000 while the remaining amount of P50 000 was to be paid before the signing of the contract.
In their tender document, this company allegedly submitted a form of intent for performance bond and they submitted a fraudulent performance bond.
In November 2009, a representative of this company allegedly paid the officer a P50 000 installment and subsequent payments were made to him thereafter. The total money paid to him is P80 000.
The Public Relations officer of DCEC, Lentswe Motshoganetsi, said a middle-aged man had been arraigned before the Kasane Magistrate Court, charged with corruption contrary to Section 25 (1) as read with Section 36 of the Corruption and Economic Crime Act, Laws of Botswana.
It is alleged that the accused person, Wanyoika Kirie, who works as a Principal Architect with the Chobe District Council, with intent to offer assistance to one Owhin Estates Company in regard to the award of a tender of construction of four blocks of flats, received an amount of P80 000 and thereby induced the council to award this tender to the said contractor.
The council secretary of the Chobe District Council, Eratus Mathumo, told Sunday Standard that, “It is true that the DCEC has been conducting some investigations that involve a tender worth over P9 million.”
He said the officer had been interdicted following the allegations.
The accused officer is scheduled to appear before the Kasane Magistrate Court on Tuesday.
