The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) is struggling to prosecute more than 20 alleged corruption cases implicating former President Lt Gen Ian Khama, his brother Tshekedi Khama, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Eric Molale, former minister Unity Dow and Permanent Secretary to the President Emma Peloetletse.
Sunday Standard has turned up information that a number of DCEC investigation dockets implicating “big fishes” are gathering dust at the DCEC although investigations are reported complete. They are Doc IF 434/2018 implicating former President Lt Gen Ian Khama in a fresh Botswana Petroleum Fund (NPF) alleged corruption. According to details of the docket, P500 million was diverted from the NPF to subsidize the price of aviation gas as per presidential directive stipulated on a savingram of 2013 under questionable circumstances; Doc-IF000507/20, DocIF0003936/18, Doc IF0039935/18 and DocIF-112/2016 all implicating former minister Tshekedi Khama; Doc IF-972/2016 implicating former minister Unity Dow.
The DCEC is also reported to be considering dropping investigations against Permanent Secretary to the President, Anna Peloetletse for her alleged role in the Capital Management Botswana (CMB) plunder of the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF).
The graft buster is also reported to be sitting on a complete investigation docket implicating minister Eric Molale. The Sunday Standard was unable to obtain the docket number and its details.
The cases are over and above the corruption case against the Khama family involving their dealings with the Botswana Defence Force. (BDF). Former DCEC Director General Joseph Mathambo announced in November 2019 that the graft buster had reopened corruption investigations against the Khama family business, Seleka Springs. Mathambo said they had reopened investigations against Seleka Springs because it had emerged that the investigations were stopped unduly because of external influence.
The case brings to 11, the total number of corruption cases being investigated by the DCEC implicating the former president and his brother.
DCEC Spokesperson Lentswe Motshoganetsi confirmed that they were investigating “some cases alluded to.” He however said he could not “divulge names and details of ongoing investigations as that is contrary to corruption and Economic Crime Act.”
Delays in prosecuting the cases is reported to be shearing the already strained relations between the DCEC and the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DIS). A source close to Administration of Justice revealed that there are more than 20 high-profile case dockets that cannot be prosecuted because of insufficient evidence. The DIS however suspects foul play.
The DIS has already launched an investigation against a number of DCEC officers who have been classified as “security threats” for allegedly leaking information from investigation dockets to accused persons.
Sunday Standard investigations have turn up information that six DCEC senior officials (names withheld) are being investigated for leaking and destroying evidence of high-profile cases to make it difficult for DPP to prosecute the cases. A number of investigators allegedly linked to the trade in stolen DCEC dockets have been reported to the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) for professional misconduct.
The trade in stolen DCEC dockets dates back close to a decade and is a lucrative business. Iinvestigators wishing to make a quick buck sell records of their investigations to buyers who are willing to pay the right price.
The murky business deals first came to light eight years ago when a number of Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) big shots tried to bribe a DCEC official to steal Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services Director General, Isaac Kgosi’s docket. DCEC managed to foil the deal and launched an investigation against the BDP quartet. The case however never had its day in court.
Details of how DCEC dockets may be bought and sold where however revealed a few months later when the wife to Lethebe Maine, former Ombudsman was charged with corrupting a public officer after paying P25 000 for a stolen DCEC investigation docket containing incriminating evidence against her.
In another case involving alleged trade in stolen DCEC dockets, a high-ranking DCEC officer and his junior were suspended for allegedly taking bribes from a well-known Maun businessman they were investigating for corruption.
At some stage, the then DCEC Director General, Rose Seretse was asked to appear at the Maun Magistrates court to explain, amongst other things, whether the DCEC was investigating information which came up showing that there was payment of money to a DCEC officer by one of the state witnesses in the corruption case against a Maun lawyer and his client.
Seretse sent a senior officer in the DCEC, the late Eugene Wasetso who told the Magistrate that investigations against the DCEC officer were administrative issues that had nothing to do with the corruption case against the two accused persons.
An insider revealed that in most cases, there is no foul play, it is only that the DCEC evidence room is in deep disarray, bad record keeping, mislabeling and sloppiness in how records are kept and categorized which makes it difficult to ascertain crucial evidence chain of custody.
