DCEC probes Statistics Botswana
Mbongeni Mguni | Tuesday June 23, 2015 18:03
Yesterday, Members of the Parliament’s statutory bodies and state enterprises committee convened a hearing into the allegations, in line with James Mathokgwane’s motion adopted in the last sitting of Parliament. Mathokgwane resigned as the Goodhope/Mabule legislator late May.
During the hearing, it emerged the DCEC had begun probing possible fraud at the data agency as far back as September 2014, after receiving key statements from a whistleblower within Statistics Botswana.
The transaction, said to have taken place on October 31, 2013, involves the transfer of P1.145 million from one Stats Botswana account to another.
Mathokgwane, who was the first to give evidence before the committee yesterday, said the funds were then cashed over the counter at a local bank and no trail existed outside of bank records. The limit for cheque encashment in local banks is P500,000 adding a cloud on the transaction, he said.
Committee member and Gaborone Central legislator, Phenyo Butale confirmed during the hearing that the DCEC was probing the matter.
“We have had a brief indication from the DCEC and they seem to be only dealing with the fraud case or the withdrawal,” he told Mathokgwane.
“They don’t seem to have any other case before them.”
In a written response into the matter, Statistics Botswana boss, Anna Majelantle confirmed the DCEC’s involvement in “all the allegations” and said the agency was “confident” of being exonerated.
Before legislators yesterday, she also revealed that the agency had been aware of the corruption watchdog’s probe for sometime.
“We received some communication from the DCEC and we gave them all the information as far back as September 2014,” she said.
Earlier in the hearing, Mathokgwane charged that a cover-up and witch-hunt for whistleblowers were underway at Statistics Botswana, alleging that officials were hurrying to cover the tracks of corruption and maladministration.
The former legislator said part of his “smoking-gun” evidence had disappeared in the period during which he made the adjustment from Parliament to SPEDU in Selebi Phikwe, where he now works.
The evidence, he said, was a breakdown he had allegedly received from Statistics Botswana on the composition of the P1.2 million transaction.
“When I left my office and went to SPEDU, I left some stuff that was put in a box. When I looked through that box yesterday, I could not find that particular breakdown,” said Mathokgwane.“If the committee will allow, I will find that breakdown and submit it, because I am passionate about this matter.
“I think there’s a lot of cover-up at Statistics Botswana, no question about it. I think people are trying to cover their tracks and they are doing it very well, but I’m just hoping that this committee will call the relevant people who can give them information about what has been happening there.”
In the main, Mathokgwane alleges that the
transaction at best was unprocedural and at worst, either corrupt or fraudulent. His submission also lists four appointments, which he says were unethically or corruptly made.
Mathokgwane alleges that the individuals in question either failed interviews or were under-qualified, but were still chosen for the positions, in some cases despite the recommendations or protests of supervisors.
The appointment of a certain director was particularly questionable as the individual in question failed the initial interview and had been deemed not the best for the job, the former legislator said.
“There was an interview but none of the candidates passed and there was supposed to be a re-advertisement. Three people were shortlisted from that, but a new interview did not take place.
“Instead the Statistician General decided who must be appointed. That appointee had initially failed an interview at a lower level.
“If you cannot pass at that level, but are then appointed even higher up, that must raise eyebrows.
“Later, this director’s supervisor even recommended that her probation be extended for six months, but the Statistician General ruled that the director be appointed substantively.
“That person failed in that position and yet there was a special provision for her to be capacitated further.” Mathokgwane also claimed two other appointments were made despite one of them involving a girlfriend of an influential director. Both these appointees, he said, had worked with the director in question at BURS and had been preferred over two worthier candidates who were inexplicably shoved out of contention.
“A lot of the things that are happening there are not as per the board recommendations,” he said, facing stiff questions on the identity of his sources. “There may be one or two bad apples taking advantage of the fact that there are no systems and they are running the show.”
Testifying before the legislators, Statistician General, Majelantle, said the former legislator’s investigations and the whisteblowers’ claims on fraud, carried no stock. “I think it was maybe misinformation given to the former MP,” she said.
“We have a process where we do payments electronically and on that particular day, which was a month-end, our Internet was not working.
“We instructed the bank to make certain payments such as medical aid and mortgages for staff as well as external payments and we wrote a letter.
“The bank recorded that as a cheque payment and we enquired about this and they said it was their process whenever they received such instructions.
“It was not on our side.”
Majelantle’s written submissions also dismiss each accusation on recruitments and appointments at the data agency. On the issue of the director’s appointment, the statistics boss said the process followed had been above the board.
“The position was initially advertised in November 2011 and three candidates were shortlisted and interviewed on May 28, 2012, from which no one was appointed.
“The position was re-advertised and the board human resources committee decided there was no need for interviews as candidates who applied were the same as those who had been interviewed before. “On December 19, 2012 the committee decided to review its interviews held in May 2012 and these indicated the person with the highest marks and she was considered and appointed.”
While conceding that the director’s supervisor had recommended an extension of probation, Majelantle said management had overruled this as it was felt that the overall assessment indicated satisfactory performance.
What they said
Samson Guma Moyo (Tati East and Committee chair)
“You are saying you cannot reveal your sources. How do we conclude on that and can we accept their statements as fact? We cannot cross check that.”
James Mathokgwane (Mover of motion and former MP)
“I received this information from my source and I’m not going to reveal that because it would be highly unprofessional. You see Mr Chairman, there are people who sit in these organisations and are not happy that these things are happening and they have no way of expressing that. They come to us and trust that we will not reveal their identities. The fact that I’m not revealing the source should not be an excuse not to admit this information because it is already at the DCEC.”
Guma Moyo
“Why should we trust you?”
Mathokgwane
“Because I have taken an oath to tell the truth?”
Guma Moyo
“So tell us who gave you the document?”
Mathokgwane
“I can’t do that.”
Guma Moyo
“How did you get Statistics Botswana’s bank statement?”
Mathokgwane
“From my source and as Members of Parliament and custodians of the country’s resources, we go beyond barriers to safeguard these resources. How I got the statement I’m presenting should not in anyway jeopardise this exercise. It’s immaterial because it’s the truth.”
Guma Moyo
“Yes, we want the truth but this depends on where it comes from. If you have people breaking into Statistics Botswana at night and giving these documents to MPs then saying we should investigate bad governance, how credible is that when they are thieves? How credible are people who have taken classified information and the MP does not want to tell us where they get that information.”
Mathokgwane
“There was no break-in or it would have been reported.”
Pius Mokgware (Gabane – Mmankgodi)
“Can it not be a dialogue between the two of you? Can you also allow us to interview?”
Phenyo Butale (Gaborone Central)
“When we ask a witness to tell us where they got information from, we should also be mindful of the whistleblowing concept that suggests that people who will have given him the information did so in the nation’s best interest and we have to do the ‘harm test’. What harm would releasing this information have on the public interest?”