The day DIS ‘ambushed’ me
Innocent Selatlhwa | Monday July 31, 2023 06:00
I even interviewed some who claimed to have been harassed and abused in the process of the DIS investigations. As a journalist, I never thought I was immune from law enforcement agencies. In fact, in 2015 the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) took me in for questioning following a story I had written.
I actually got a call from my then Managing Editor, Shike Olsen, calling me to the Botswana Gazette office as there were some DCEC officers looking for me. I took a combi and went to the office and we engaged with the officers. They had to deal with my then company lawyer and I slept home. They took me in the following morning for questioning.
They respected that I declined to answer their questions and they let me go. The downside of it was that they took my then work computer. Now with the DIS, I have come to see a different animal specialising in instilling fear, intimidation and using force to get what they want with total disregard for the law. Just this past Thursday July 20, 2023 just shortly after getting home in Tlokweng, I came face to face with the dreaded DIS. “Innocent, re tsile rra. Re a go batla, bula lebati, a reye.” Those were the first words I heard and knew sh**t had hit the fan.
I quickly stood up and went to the door which was open with only the burglar door closed. If they had known, I swear they would have gone in through the burglar door as I looked around for the keys.
They came to me like vampires thirsty for blood. Several of them flashed their identity cards at me. They told me they had come to take me. They parked a white quantum combi just outside the yard while a luxurious Police BMW was parked in the middle of the yard. Just as I opened the door, eight men and two women got closer to me. At this point I called my fiancé who was in the bedroom to come see our visitors. They told her they had come to get me. But they refused to state why or where we were going.
They asked for my gadgets and three would escort me into a bedroom to search for electronics. I had taken off my t-shirt and wore a gown over a vest. So I also needed to wear a t-shirt and shoes before we could go. They obliged. Before we exited the house, I asked them what wrong I had committed and wanted to know where they were taking me.
I insisted on them calling my superiors at work or our company lawyer. They would not entertain such. They said it was too early to call a lawyer. But still, they did not tell me what offence I was suspected to have committed. As we were just about to get into the car, I kept a serious face and assured my fiance that she should not worry as I would be back. I asked her to contact my colleagues so they could be aware of what was going on. At that point they threatened her that should she tell anyone that they took me, they would come for her and lock her up. This got me worried as to what could be the intentions of these people. I told her to listen to them but then do what she feels is right after our departure. I was told I would ride on the combi and off we went. I sat alone at the back seat.
They would not let me sit where I had chosen to, just by the entrance of the combi. What the hell was I thinking? I had to be kept like a captive so I would not escape. Why would they come to me 10 of them? Off we left, the police car led the escort. As we went on, everyone in the combi was quiet. I started feeling uneasy in my nostrils. At first I tried to ignore it, but it got worse. I felt some hot air coming through my nostrils. I told them of my situation. But they told me the air conditioner was off.
I would then start sneezing and they told me to move and seat by the window where I could get fresh air. Unfortunately, the situation did not improve. I had a running nose throughout the journey and my stay at their facilities. We drove to Sebele whereupon I registered and was ushered into the interrogation room. I had one chair on my side and 10 officers on the other hand digging for information from me. They took turns trying to force me to give them what they wanted. I realised they care more about getting what they wanted but had little regard for doing it according to the book. What scared me most is that they did not seem to appreciate the media as the Fourth Estate. I am, however, grateful for the interaction with their boss Rre Peter Magosi. I am hopeful that our case would be the last of its nature. We are not untouchable, but touch us well.