Botswana counts its losses as Westcor folds
Friday, March 05, 2010
In 2003, BPC invested US$100 000 in Western Power Corridor (Westcor), an ambitious P55 billion project known as INGA III to tap hydroelectric power from the Congo and Cuanza Rivers in the DRC and Angola respectively.
Botswana, along with the DRC, Angola, Namibia and South Africa, were to benefit from an anticipated 3 500 MW produced by the project.
That a single private law firm pocketed P6.5 million for just four cases, out of a total P11.1 million paid for 25 matters, reeks of a system that was not merely disorganised but open to abuse.Bayford has taken a welcome first step by telling the Public Accounts Committee the truth. Now he must act decisively to ensure it never happens again and that any money lost to wrongdoing is recovered.The figures are staggering. Whilst ordinary Batswana...