Botswana Police Officers are considered the most corrupt citizens in the country,The Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) Africa released last week has revealed.
The report revealed that 1,198 Batswana surveyed between 21st June and 5th July by Star Awards (Pty) Ltd felt that Botswana police officers are the most corrupt citizens in the country.
The Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) ÔÇô Africa, published by Transparency International in partnership with Afrobarometer, presents the largest, most detailed set of public opinion data on citizens’ views on corruption and direct experiences of bribery in Africa.
The perception of police officers as the most corrupt citizens is substantiated by the number of Batswana who admitted to paying bribes in the 12 months leading to the date of the survey.
The total number of bribe payers was calculated based on the percentage of respondents surveyed who had paid a bribe at least once to any public officer. It emerged that 7% had paid bribes to police officers, 4% to public officers working in utilities corporations, 3% to O’Mang national identity officers and 1% to clinics and health center officers.
It emerged from the survey that 39% of the respondends reported that Botswana police Officers and the rest of the public service is corrupt, followed by 35% who feel that Botswana business executives are corrupt.
The survey findings back complaints by the Commissioner of Police Kebetswe Makgophe who recently reported Keabetswe Makgophe, rising corruption in the police service.
Closing the the annual 47th Senior Officers Conference in Gaborone two months ago, Makgophe said “recently more than ten officers from different stations” were suspended on allegations of corruption.
Some were allegedly found with money suspected to be proceeds of bribery from motorists facing traffic offences.
An earlier report by Sub-Inspector Kennedy Mooketsi of the BPS internal affairs unit during a southern division workshop for police officers in Kanye a few years ago revealed that youthful police officers, especially those in the traffic division were taking bribes.
Sub inspector Mooketsi said such officers often diverted funds into their own pockets and terrorised competitors against whom they had set up private businesses, especially in the taxi industry.
He revealed that scores had set up illegal taxi businesses and devised a strategy to arrest those operating legally to stem competition.
He said some incidents of corruption discovered within the police service included illegal electronic transfer of funds, unlawful employment of special constables ,conflicts of interests, and suspicious relationships with business community. He told the workshop that following investigations and due process some of the involved police officers were dismissed.
