Secret documents passed to the Sunday Standard have revealed that the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) is investigating the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services Director General Peter Magosi.
In a secret savingram dated 5th May 2022, DCEC Director General Tymon Katlholo informed the Attorney General Abraham Keetshabe that, “I must inform you that the DCEC is investigating some officers of the DISS, including its Director General and he is alive to this fact.”
Katlholo’s savingram was written from Rwanda a day after the DIS sealed off his office as a crime scene, “without any court order to that effect, thereby literally preventing all employees of the DCEC from getting in or out of the premises.”
Katlholo who referred to Magosi as a suspect in DCEC corruption investigations complained to the Attorney General that it was, “very surprising, if not unlawful, for a suspect, in the form of the Director General of the DISS, to use his position to acquire investigative information against him.”
The DIS in its answering affidavit deposed by one of its investigators Jet Mafuta however insists that the files they are looking for relate to Seleka Springs and have nothing to do with DCEC investigations against DIS officers.
Katlholo however maintains that the DIS wants access to files on DCEC corruption investigations against senior DIS officials.
This line of reasoning emerges again in his affidavits to the court where he has filed an application to restrain the DIS from accessing DCEC investigation files.
In his Supplementary affidavit, filed with the High Court in Lobatse on 11th May 2022, Katlholo states that, “the DCEC is currently seized with investigations of allegations of corruption by some high-ranking officials of the DISS present and past. Some of such investigations are at an advanced stage and are under consideration for prosecution.”
In his affidavits, Katlholo, does not single out Magosi either by name or by rank. He reveals that the projects under DCEC investigation are among others the Mmamashia Water Projects, Palapye Water Projects, Moshupa hospital Projects and Police laboratory. He says in some of the projects, the bribes “received by officials, some within the DISS is (sic) well in excess of P100 million.
“It will be a travesty of justice to allow the DISS access to the files in consideration of the above.”
Although Katlholo does not say it in so many words, indications are that the DCEC investigations against some DIS senior officials was arose from a number of decisions by the DIS to terminate a number of multimillion Pula contracts citing corruption and national security.
In his supplementary affidavit, Katlholo states that, “the DISS is on record saying they are investigating corruption. The DISS is on record arresting and detaining people on allegations of corruption. Further the DISS is on record cancelling tenders on corruption under the pretext of national security. I pointed out, at the above referenced meeting that no entity, other than the PPADB, has the authority to cancel a tender…. I further indicated that a tender cannot be cancelled on the basis of issues that are outside of its compliance structure.”
Katlholo stated that, “ what constitutes national security threat from where the DCEC stand, is where there is engrained public perception of feeling that government officials entrusted with public authority are engaged in activities that undermine the public trusts and confidence, leading to distortion of policies, overzealousness and impunity, particularly with respect to enforcement of the law and maintenance of law and order, has the propensity to compromise good governance and undermine the rule of law and society’s democracy.”
