Ex-diplomat commits 250 years toward debt-clearance
Mompati Tlhankane | Tuesday May 24, 2022 06:34
This means it will take the latter 250 years (10 generations) to settle the debt. The ex-diplomat (name undisclosed) is currently unemployed.
He was stationed in New York at the time and accumulated the debt through a telephone bill, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recently, Foreign Affairs ministry’s permanent secretary (PS), Gladys Mokhawa revealed that the diplomat incurred the costs through the mobile data that was not switched off.
“He came here in Botswana unaware that the mobile data was on and he kept on calling and the bill ended up reaching around P600,000,” she said.
Mokhawa also disclosed that even after taking all the money from his benefits when he left the job, the diplomat was still far from settling the debt.
“He is currently unemployed and he has promised to pay P200 every month. He has even asked to be reemployed so that he could settle this debt,” she said.
Mokhawa said they will take the matter back to court because they do not agree with the P200 debt service he has committed to.
The PS also indicated the ex-diplomat initially hid the debt from the ministry and decided to settle the debt at the telephone company using government money.
PAC member, Pono Moatlhodi asked why the irregularity was not discovered while the diplomat was still on duty and why the amount was not deducted from his salary.
“We discovered this while he was still on duty. After realising that he has incurred these costs, he paid the bill using government money and gave us a fake receipt which did not reflect the actual amount. It was only realised after an audit that he used government money to settle his debt. He concealed the actual amount and this was like fraud. After an investigation was conducted there was a hearing and in the middle of this he resigned,” she further disclosed.
Moatlhodi said he was baffled by this kind of fraud which was not discovered in time by the ministry.
“You are very wrong. I don’t want to hide behind the figure because this is very unprofessional of you,” Moatlhodi put it to the PS.
Mokhawa explained that a criminal case was not instituted because when their investigations were done at the time they did not come to the conclusion the case was fraud.
For his part, PAC acting chairperson, Mephato Reatile said he was concerned about the P200 per month repayment plan because even the former diplomat knows he can never settle this debt in his lifetime.
Reatile said there is nothing the ministry can do now to speed up the recovery of the amount owed.
“You have converted a criminal case into a civil matter, now you are going to court for the P200 commitment made by the former diplomat. You have watered it down. You are spending money for nothing,” Reatile told Mokhawa.
Reatile said the ministry should be aware that it will take the former diplomat generations to settle the debt.