BCP demands release of audit names, entities
Lewanika Timothy | Wednesday May 13, 2026 06:00
Addressing the media this week, Saleshando argued that Batswana deserve full transparency because the audit was commissioned using the taxpayers’ money.
“We paid for this audit, and Batswana need to know what their money was used for,” Saleshando said.
The BCP leader said the government’s reluctance to release the full report raises serious questions about accountability and transparency, particularly on matters involving the public.
He maintained that citizens have a right to know who may have been implicated and whether there was value for their money in the entire process.
Saleshando said he is failing to understand why there is sudden secrecy on the full report, as the audit is not synonymous with the charge sheet that should be discreet.
“Money that has been used belongs to Batswana. Corruption that has been done affects Batswana. The arguments for secrecy cannot be more than those of arguments for accountability,” he said.
He highlighted that he has noted some of the ongoing debates on social media that releasing the names might jeopardise the audit. But he outlined that the arguments raised cannot outweigh that of transparency and accountability.
“The arguments for secrecy can’t be given greater weight than the arguments for public interests for the protection of public resources. We hear those who say they should not be revealed as investigations are ongoing,” he said.
However, he said, arguments that releasing the audit might jeopardise the investigations are far-fetched.
“The forensic audits are not charge sheets. A forensic audit is done to the interest that investigators can investigate. A culprit covers their tracks on the first day, and when the audit is announced, they hide even more,” he said.
He further said he has growing concerns that people implicated in the audit will remain elusive because of the secrecy of the audit that has not been disclosed to the public thus far.
“When one hears that the audit is secretive, they will cover their tracks even more. You are denying the nation of more whistleblowers who can assist in exposing the rot,” Saleshando warned.
Saleshando indicated that BCP will change the secrecy of the forensic audit by invoking the Access to Information Law, which was passed in the last Parliament.
“We are going to challenge this secrecy of the audit using the Access to Information Law to really see if the law works because no information belongs to the government.
'They are keeping it for us,” he said.
He highlighted that BCP will continue to demand answers from the government with the forensic audit.