be MOBILE implicated in Mokgware case

BAME PIET
Staff Writer | Thursday April 21, 2011 00:00

 

The employee is alleged to have clandestinely passed confidential information on Mokgware to Military Intelligence operatives. After his unceremonious and mysterious retirement from the BDF last year, the general has sued the government and be MOBILE.

The matter is before Justice Stephen Gaongalelwe and is scheduled for case management conference next week.

It has been difficult to establish the details of the case at the High Court because of the ongoing civil service strike. However, be MOBILE denied any knowledge about the suit. Ano Tshipa, head of marketing and communications at Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) of which be MOBILE is a subsidiary said that she was not aware of any lawsuit against her company. She said that the company's legal department was in a meeting at the time of interview.

Other sources indicate that Mokgware is suing be MOBILE for passing private information to a third party, which is a breach of confidentiality between the cellphone service provider and its clientele. It is alleged that one of the senior employees of the company has shared information on Mokgware's private telephone conversations with BDF Military Intelligence operatives, for which he was paid huge amounts of money. Mokgware did not want to talk about the case and referred enquiries to the High Court.

Meanwhile, Mokgware has denied recent reports that senior government officials have approached him to go back to the BDF. 'I have heard about the rumours but the truth is that nobody has approached me about any offer at BDF,' he said. A highly placed source has revealed that President Ian Khama was considering reinstating Mokgware to the army, either on contract on permanently.  BDF commander Lieutenant General Tebogo Masire is scheduled to retire in July this year after serving an additional 12 months. The BDF public affairs office has been denying that Masire is employed on contract, insisting that he is on permanent terms.

The army succession headache intensified early this year after deputy commander, Major General Otisitswe Tiroyamodimo was slapped with criminal charges. His trial at Broadhurst Magistrates' Court is scheduled for September.

Other people that were being groomed to succeed Masire are reported to be facing disciplinary action for unethical behaviour. Besides the Masire succession, BDF is likely to face another transition soon because the commander of Air Arm Major General Tumelo Paledi is about to retire.