Law firm fails conflict of interest test in BTC privatization

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The law firm of Monthe Marumo and Company failed to declare a conflict of interest in the privatisation of Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC), the Minister of Transport and Communications, Tshenolo Mabeo has told Parliament.

The company provided lawyers to advise BTC and Botswana Fibre Networks Limited (BOFINET) in the transaction, causing a conflict of interest. “Neither BOFINET nor BTC were aware of this conflict until March 30, 2015.

The onus on declaring conflict of interest lies with the law firm. In this case, no conflict of interest was declared by Monthe Marumo and Company incorporating Molatlhegi and Associates,” Mabeo told Parliament.

Editor's Comment
Get back what was stolen, and lock the door

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...

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