Giving evidence yesterday, former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Minerals Energy and Water Resources, Dr Akolang Tombale told Regional Magistrate Lot Moroka that while the Debswana management made proposals to his board on undertaking a tourism development project, to the tune of P631 million, Louis Nchindo did not declare any personal interests in such developments. Tombale was deputy chairman of the board from 2001 until his retirement from the civil service in 2008.
He stated that board members are required to declare their interests and make a list of their assets every year to avoid conflict of interest. Tombale declared that in all board meetings attended with Nchindo, no such interests in tourism development were declared, nor were they made known to the then Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Boometswe Mokgothu. A list of over 10 companies in which Nchindo was director, or had shareholdings was read to the court and Tourism Development Consortium (Pty) Ltd and Golconda Holdings (Pty) Ltd were never mentioned.
