Even though Botswana continues to enjoy high reviews as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime continues to grapple with increasing instances of complex corruption cases. Incidents of money laundering, underhand land dealings, tax evasion and fraud are reportedly on the increase in Botswana.
“Corruption in Botswana is becoming increasingly complex and challenging.
The biggest challenge this year has been in the area of procurement, followed by land dealings and cheque fraud. There is also a growing trend of cheating in examinations,” DCEC Director, Rose Seretse, said on Monday.
So far, the DCEC has received 1805 corruption cases for 2009, of which 623 were classified for investigation. This is an increase from the previous year, when the DCEC received 1778 cases and classified 589 for investigation.
Between April and November this year, the DCEC submitted 85 cases to the Department of Public Prosecutions, and 92 other cases are already before the courts of law. The DCEC has made more arrests this year than in previous years, and Seretse attributed that to their concerted efforts in unions with other law enforcement agencies in the country, as well as liaison with regional and international anti corruption agencies.
“Our close partnership and collaboration with sister organizations has helped the DCEC in the fight against corruption, sharing resources and skills transfer,” said Seretse.
While the DCEC has offices in Francistown, Gaborone and Maun, there are indications that there is a need to open more offices around the country to improve efficiency.
