Seretse probe better placed with DCEC -Tsimako

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Thursday April 15, 2010 00:00

 

The allegations arose out of the awarding of tenders to RFT Botswana (Pty) Ltd. for the supply of aviation equipment to the Botswana Police Service when Seretse was a director of the company.

The Commissioner's response is in reaction to a complaint by the Botswana Congress Party's (BCP) at a press conference in Gaborone a week ago today that the police had not responded 'to say whether they will investigate or not' after the BCP reported the matter to them.

Minister Seretse has portfolio responsibility for the police.

Following the press conference that was addressed by BCP vice-president, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang, Mmegi contacted police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Christopher Mbulawa, who referred the newspaper to the Commissioner.

 This week, the Commissioner responded by saying he was not aware of the BCP reporting such a matter. 'We have not received it,' Tsiamako said.

Pressed further that the BCP was insisting it had made a report to both the police and the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crimes (DCEC), Tsimako said the matter would be 'rightly placed at the DCEC as it falls within their mandate'.

'But it doesn't mean that if the report was presented to us, we would have ignored it,' he added.

At a press conference last Thursday, BCP vice-president Gobotswang expressed shock that there had been no response from the police since the BCP reported the minister four weeks previously.

'The Police Commissioner has not even responded to our letter,' said Gobotswang. 'We also sent another letter to the DCEC at the same time and they responded the next day that they would act on our query and investigate. So we wonder why the police are still silent.'

In what appears to be encircling the minister on many sides, the BCP said it had also written to President Ian Khama to suspend Seretse, while investigations into his company take place.

Incidentally, the President and Minister Seretse are first cousins.

 Meanwhile, DCEC spokesman Lentswe Motshoganetsi would not be drawn into discussing the BCP complaint. 'I cannot deny or confirm whether we are investigating him (Minister Seretse) or not,' he said.

In a letter to the media recently, Seretse said he is not a director of RFT Botswana (Pty) Ltd. and is also not involved in the daily management of the company.

'I have not involved myself in any corrupt practices and have not influenced anyone with regard to the awarding of tenders or any other activity between government and RFT,' he wrote.