DIS in corruption web for multi-million roads projects
The Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) is caught in a web of corruption allegations.
It is accused of having influenced the award of two of the three road construction projects last year with the aim of its head, some senior government officials and politicians to dip their fingers in, Botswana Guardian has learned.
The three tenders were awarded in August 2022 instead of being cancelled and a call for retendering issued. The three tenders also sparked controversy between August and October in 2021 when it was alleged that some Roads Engineers were colluding with some of the bidders in the preparations of the Invitation to Tender (ITT), where there was insider trading.
The tenders are; Tender No: MTC 240/5/56/2021-2022 (4) Shoulder Reinstatement and Asphalt Overlay of Sepopa-Mohembo Road 70KM; Tender No: MTC 240/5/56/2021-2022 (5) Shoulder Reinstatement and Asphalt Overlay of Gumare-Sepopa Road 70KM; Tender No: MTC240/5/56/2021-2022 (2) Asphalt Overlay of Mokobeng- Sefhare Access Road 30km.
It emerged that after the Public Procurement Act came into effect in April 2022, the tenders were not cancelled as should have been the case. The tenders were expected to be cancelled once the Public Procurement and Assets Disposal Board (PPADB) Act ceased operation and procurement entities were to start their own procuring processes.
The Ministry of Transport and Public Works through the Department of Roads instead of cancelling the tenders went ahead and awarded to Bango Trading (pty) Ltd, Lempehu Investments (Pty) Ltd and Rockefeller (Pty) Ltd respectively.
For Tender No: MTC 240/5/56/2021-2022 (5) Department of Roads requested for award of tender to Bango Trading (Pty) Ltd at a tender sum of P110, 594, 150.68 for Works Contract for the Procurement of Shoulder Reinstatement and Asphalt overlay of Gumare-Sepopa road (70KM); Tender No: MTC 240/5/56/2021-2022 (2), request for award of tender to Lempehu Investments (Pty) Ltd at a tender sum of P48, 911, 592. 27 inclusive of 14 percent VAT for a Works Contract for the procurement of Asphalt overlay of Mokobeng-Sefhare road (30km); and Tender No: MTC 240/5/56/2021-2022 (4) request for award of tender to Rockefeller (Pty) Ltd at a tender sum of P97, 368, 989.73 for A Work Contract for the Procurement of Shoulder Restatement and Asphalt of Sepopa-Mohembo Road (70km). The requests which have been approved were submitted on the 23rd August 2022.
The DIS especially its Director, Peter Magosi allegedly influenced the decisions on the awards. Fresh information further revealed the DIS boss and some officials at the parent ministry and the Roads Department are working on having the scope of work changed for the projects and variation undertaken at the request of the companies.
The Tenders were awarded to three companies Bango Trading (Pty) Ltd, Lempehu Investments and Rockefeller (Pty) Ltd on August 23, 2022.
Sources at the ministry have since revealed that following the awarding of the tenders, requests have been made to the Ministry to change the tender scopes and the tender sums awarded for the three work projects. Botswana
Guardian is reliably informed that the Ministry has agreed to the request and will change the scope of tenders.
It is alleged that another proposal has been made for the use of recycling method; that is ripping the existing asphalt and mix it with gravel. This was not the initial specification of the contract, and in addition there is also proposals for new rates to the client.
The contract, according to insiders, cannot be varied more than 15 percent of the scope. This, sources say, amounts to corruption since other bidders did not have an opportunity to price for this.
These applied tactics are said to have affected the start of the works at the sites. The change of scope of the tender and variations will likely increase contract prices agreed between the contractors and the client.
In 2021 the Department of Roads, as the procuring entity was accused of proposing a two-way envelope submission method while the works are mostly maintenance.
The two-way envelope system is for Financial and Technical bidding. This was said to likely disadvantage other bidders as the Engineers can set conditions that non-preferred bidders will meet.
According to sources, it has been contended that the projects are largely maintenance works as opposed to design and build. As such contractors believe the two-way envelop method should not be followed in the maintenance projects.
DIS and Ministry of Transport and Public Works Public Relations officers Edward Robert and Doreen Motshegwa have failed to respond to enquiries made to their offices on the allegations raised.
This publication first made attempts to secure responses from the two entities in November 2022 and subsequent follow-ups in December 2022 and last week with no positive response.