Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, Bayford revealed that despite growing public interest in the findings of the forensic audit conducted by Alvarez & Marsal Middle East Limited (A&M), his chambers have yet to receive the document for legal assessment and advice. Bayford explained that while the forensic audit has uncovered irregularities and potential wrongdoing, its findings do not automatically translate into actionable court cases. It has been reported that forensic auditors have uncovered that over P33 billion was embezzled during the 10-year period from April 2014 to March 2024 “Expert auditors do a forensic audit. But after doing the report, it does not mean the findings are actionable court cases.
For these matters to become cases, there has to be a docket, evidence, affidavits, and proper investigations,” he said. According to Bayford, the process requires the findings to first be referred to investigative agencies such as the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) and the Botswana Police Service. These agencies would then compile case files and dockets before forwarding them to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for assessment. He said, depending on the evidence gathered, the matters could result in criminal prosecutions or civil proceedings aimed at recovering assets allegedly lost through corruption. “It is a lot of work, but we have an agile DPP who will work hard to the satisfaction of the public,” Bayford said.
