Favouritism alleged at Office of Auditor General
The retired Auditor General Robby Sebopeng’s leadership style will come to haunt him from fed up officers bent on exposing the corruption that happened during his tenure.
After 31 years of service, Sebopeng left the office of the auditor general in June this year, leaving Pulane Letebele acting on the position. In a fresh open letter to Botswana Guardian, OAG staff members complain about unfair treatment of officers and nepotism in their office which all started during Sebopeng’s time. Chief Auditor Tebatso Moepeng is given preferential treatment over other officers. She is the younger sister to the deputy director of Department of Public Service Management Kebonye Moepeng.
“This lady seems to be untouchable as she has long been above all the officers including the retired auditor general and his lieutenants,” the letter says. Concerned staff members say Moepeng, a holder of higher diploma in accountancy with business studies is also a close ally to Letebele and was also close to Sebopeng who drew boundaries when it came to other officers. They say that she was in several instances chosen over other officers for external trips over deserving department heads to accompany the retired auditor general. Her colleagues are against her accelerated promotion and have concluded that it is not based on performance but on relationship she has with higher officers. They want it known that the office of the auditor general has officers with AAT, degree, ACCA and Master’s degree.
From an auditor to a chief auditor, officers say Moepeng was the first officer to be paid scarce skill allowance while other officers with the same and better qualifications were awarded the allowance at a later stage. They allege that she was promoted to D2 scale while there were other officers with better qualifications and with the requisite experience who were not considered. “Disgracefully, she was once again promoted to D1 scale in 2013 while she did not meet the requirements mentioned in the advert seeking a chief auditor that was placed externally in 2012 and the advert was never placed internally as per good governance practices,” says the letter, adding that an interview was never conducted. Further revelations by officers indicate that in April 2014, Moepeng, after eight months in D1 position, was sent for an assessment recommended by DPSM, for a higher position of an E scale.
Information leaked to other officers says effective September 2014 she will be acting for the position of E1, which fell vacant in April 2014 when the senior assistant auditor general David Kandjii retired. Her work ethic is also questionable as colleagues complain about her absence from work without leave and late coming which her superiors never addressed to her. The office of the auditor general is not regularly audited, as attested by Sebopeng during a previous interview. Arising from this, officers say in the letter that top management take advantage of this anomaly and practise systematic corruption.
“Factors that encourage this corruption include among others monopolistic powers, discretionary powers and lack of transparency,” state concerned staff members. “It is our fear if this matter is not attended to swiftly, her friend who is the acting auditor general will dance to her tune and the current unscrupulous situation will deteriorate,” they conclude. When contacted, Moepeng refused to respond to allegations levelled against her.
