Khama takes DIS under his wing

TSHIRELETSO MOTLOGELWA
Staff Writer | Friday April 13, 2012 00:00

 

The tussle between President Ian Khama and his estranged right hand man, Isaac Kgosi, took another turn this week when the President took control of the two main investigative and security bodies.

The Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS), which is headed by Kgosi, has been moved from the Ministry of Justice, Defence and Security to be under the direct supervision of Khama at the Office of the President.

It emerged a few weeks ago that the Directorate of Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) was investigating alleged illegal activities by some high-ranking officers in the DIS. The DIS has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Media reports indicate that a senior official of the security agency was under investigation for abuse of funds emanating from an IT project given to a company known as DBHS Automation and Technology by the Financial Intelligence Agency.

The DIS official is said to be implicated in the mysterious death of Harry Tembo, the owner of the company who died at a time when the DCEC became interested in investigating the matter. However those close to government enclave say the new direction indicates a deeper fissure between Khama and the man who for years was part of his closely-knit team of advisors, Kgosi.  A statement from government spokesperson, Jeff Ramsay, does not shed much light except that the new arrangement will see the two organs working under the supervision of Presidential Affairs Minister, Mokgweetsi Masisi.