Morupisi in fresh corruption allegations

Sharon Mathala | Monday April 7, 2025 13:00

According to a leaked Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) docket, he is facing a charge of corruption as the graft-busting agency has preferred charges against him alongside six others including former minister of Tourism, Tshekedi Khama.

Morupisi is currently serving a seven-year jail term for two counts of corruption and one for money laundering involving ‘abuse’ of office in the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF) saga.

In the latest matter, the DCEC has recommended that Morupisi be charged and his case has been submitted to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for prosecution.

Mmegi is in possession of the leaked DCEC docket where investigators allege and have recommended to the DPP that the disgraced former PSP abused his powers whilst in office by unlawfully expediting a payment process of the now missing Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) aircraft.

The case, which is reportedly under review by the DPP, has not yet resulted in formal charges but has raised serious concerns “over procurement violations and improper financial transactions”.

Morupisi’s alleged role in the corruption allegation leaves both the past and new administrations on pins and needles.

According to DCEC investigations, it is alleged that Morupisi coerced a senior official at the then Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MFED) to authorise payments to a supplier over a weekend.

The background of the matter is that following a presidential directive to procure an aircraft for the DWNP to safeguard endangered species, an intermediary was allegedly identified by the ministry to facilitate for the purchase of three aircraft. The normal government procedure began and it is said that sometime in 2017, Morupisi allegedly called officers to his office on a weekend and instructed that the broker be paid instantly to facilitate the purchase of the aircraft because government had entered into an agreement which it needed to fulfill.

It said that the officers during the meeting, which they allege the minister was also present in, advised that no government payment and/or business can be carried over the weekend and that there were some procedures that were yet to be fulfilled.

The DCEC investigation further alleges that Morupisi directed that the payment be made instantly. This directive, investigators allege, “was not only inappropriate but also fundamentally impossible due to the operational constraints of the banking system”.

Bank of Botswana, along with other central banks through which international payment systems are processed, remain closed on weekends. As a result, any payments requiring interbank clearance would typically have to be processed during regular business hours. Despite these clear financial regulations, Morupisi allegedly insisted on bypassing standard procedures, thereby violating the procurement process and potentially enabling financial misconduct, said the officers.

The matter has since been forwarded to the DPP for further action, though no formal charges have been laid as yet. If prosecuted, this case could further tarnish Morupisi's already battered legacy, which has also already been marred by corruption convictions.

Mmegi reached out to the DCEC to confirm or deny the existence of such investigation and give an update on the case. Whilst the DCEC public relations officer, Nlayidzi Gambule was constrained to share further details on the questionnaire sent by Mmegi, the DCEC ddid confirm the investigation.

'We do confirm that the matter at hand was classified for investigation. However, we are constrained to divulge any further information regarding the investigations,” explained DCEC’s Gambule in his response to Mmegi enquiry.