DIS secretly allocated P42m from e-govt projects

Over P42 million budgeted for e-Gov project has been secretly transferred to the Directorate of Intelligence Services (DIS), parliament heard Thursday.

The information came to light this week through a parliamentary question by Member of Parliament for Gaborone Central Dumelang Saleshando who asked the Minister of Transport and Communications, Nonofo Molefhi to state if any funds, which were budgeted for the e-government, project were transferred to the DIS.

In his response Molefhi admitted that funds were transferred to the spy body by a letter of Authority to the DIS. He revealed that P30 million was transferred in April last year while more than P12.5 million was transferred in October the same year.

This means over P42 million has been transferred to the DIS.

The minister noted that the Permanent Secretary in his ministry who according to Molefhi is the accounting officer and warrant holder for the said budget item authorized the transfers.

“The funds were utilized for the deployment of Government Information Technology (IT) security that is very critical to protect Government systems from intrusions and any other external threats,” said the minister.

According to the minister, the Ministry of Transport and Communications provides a centralized budget for the e-Government and for cases where another ministry implements a particular project; “we transfer the funds as would have been provided for.”

Molefhi refused to divulge how the spy body utilised the P42 million, saying the IT security projects that were being carried out are classified and security sensitive.

This is not the first occasion whereby DIS. During the 2007/2008 financial year money was transferred under unclear circumstances from the Disaster
Relief Fund to the DIS.