Bugalo Maripe was responding to news that the Minister of Works and Transport had received five computers from Infradev Botswana a day before her ministry and the company signed a Memorandum of Agreement under which the company will supply Botswana Railways with rolling stock.
Maripe said issues of conflict of interest depended much on what is perceived by the public to be the position: "In the particular circumstances, it would reasonably appear to the public that the Minister, having been favoured with a gift a day before signing a Memorandum of Agreement with the company that provided the gifts, could not have exercised her mind otherwise than in the manner she did."
He said it was reasonable to conclude that the gift played very much on her mind and influenced her decision in favour of Infradev Botswana: "The passing of the gift was meant to produce that effect on her. It is, therefore, a conflict of interest."
Meanwhile, Motsumi has not accepted the allegations that the computers she received were a form of bribery. She told the Monitor that the computers were for her parliamentary constituency (Ramotswa) and that they had nothing to do with the agreement she signed with Infradev.
Botswana Railways has entered into an eight-year contract with Ansaldo Union Switch and Signals of Australia to maintain signalling and communications infrastructure for BR.
InfraDev Botswana will assist with general infrastructure maintenance, operations planning, and the manufacturing and repair of rolling stock.
