DIS falls under DCEC’s radar

Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) has launched an investigation on the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) for 35 missing motor vehicles at the agency. The case that was initially handled by Botswana Police has been moved to the corruption-busting agency after it was established that it would be difficult to establish criminal activities, as there has been no one coming forward with information.

Investigations by Botswana Guardian have revealed that the motor vehicles of different makes and models were bought during the reign of Isaac Kgosi who was fired as spy chief by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi. Information gathered suggests that the vehicles were bought for covert operations and they were bought cash from various car dealers. According to sources, the vehicles were not bought under the DIS name but using individuals’ names for covert purposes. It has since emerged that the vehicles were not entered into the inventory book for record keeping.

Some officers are said to have taken advantage of Kgosi’s sacking to keep the vehicles. Information about the missing vehicles was discovered when auditing was done at the spy agency. It was only last year when the DIS was being audited since its inception in 2008. It is alleged that DIS boss Peter Magosi roped in the DCEC to investigate his agency with the aim of getting to the root cause of alleged corruption activities at the organisation, which happened during the tenure of his predecessor. Police Commissioner Keabetswe Makgophe declined to comment on the matter and said the DIS is better placed to talk about it. Contacted for comment Magosi confirmed to this publication that the DCEC is investigating them.

He said all they want is to establish what happened to the motor vehicles. The spy chief said he would not go into details on the matter because it might compromise the work of the DCEC. He referred this publication to DCEC regarding the matter. DCEC public relations unit had not responded to a questionnaire sent to their office last week at the time of going to press. Magosi has been accused of trying his best to bring down Kgosi ever since he was sacked last year. Kgosi has been hauled before courts for allegedly taking pictures of DIS agents on covert operations and leaking such pictures to the media.

Magosi has since denied targeting anyone to revenge on anything but is fighting corruption which has resulted in the country losing millions of Pula. Magosi said he takes responsibility for the bad image associated with the DIS promising a new slate. Recently he told the media that the audit report is ready and he only awaits office of Auditor General to avail the report. A few weeks after he ascended to the Presidency on April 1st 2018, Masisi fired Kgosi and had him replaced with Magosi.  When the DIS was established in 2008 under the presidency of Khama, Kgosi was appointed its first Director General responsible for direction, control, administration and expenditure of the Directorate.

Ever since his appointment Magosi has been a very busy man, conducting operations and searches all said to be targeted at mostly former President Khama’s allies, a move seen as a political witch-hunt by some. It was Magosi who then arrested Kgosi at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in the full glare of members of the public and the media while the former DIS boss was arriving from an international trip in India.