Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Basic Education Bridget John and a number of senior government officials from the ministry were arrested Friday night as part of government’s campaign to break the nexus of corruption between civil servants, private contractors and political leaders.
Sunday Standard investigations have turned up information that among senior officials from the Ministry of Basic Education who were rounded up and detained by the security services is Director Technical Services Neo Motlhagodi.
Although details are still sketchy, it is understood that their arrest follows investigations into allegations of corruption in the award of a multi-million Pula tender for the upgrading of a school in northern Botswana.
For Most Batswana who have followed Bridget John’s career from the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB), she is either a champion in the fight against corruption or a very corrupt leader, depending on how they got to know about her.
While she was PPADB Executive Chairperson, the public procurement entity was among government organisations with the most corruption allegations. In an attempt to clear the air around these allegations, the PPADB held a capacity building workshop in Gaborone in which it took the media through the entire tendering process. Bridget John explained to the media that they saw it fit to demystify tendering and address some misconceptions associated with public procurement.
She said it was unjustified for some people to assume that those who make decisions relating to tenders can choose to award tenders to their family members and friends.
“However, if anyone is aware of such practices they need to report those cases to the competent authority for appropriate action and thus assist in keeping tenders clean,” she said.
The arrest of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Basic Education comes only a week after former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Jimmy Opelo was reinstated after government investigations failed to find evidence of “misconduct” against him.
Opelo was placed on an indefinite suspension on charges of misconduct which allegations the government never made public.
Following five months in suspension, and barely a week after reinstatement Opelo has now been transferred to the Ministry of Transport and Communications as Permenent Secretary. While he refused to answer any questions, Sunday Standard understands that even he, the accused, was never made aware of the specific offenses for which he was suspended.
