Police officers and corruption
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
A most recent case is that of Mabutsane Police Station commander, Stephen Kebaitse who is on trial for corruption charges. He is appearing before Jwaneng Magistrates Court for allegedly embezzling over P60, 000 exhibits in a criminal matter. There are other police officers, charged in courts of law, for crimes they committed while in office.
In Botswana, police officers have complained of unsatisfactory pay which does not meet their daily needs. The officers, mostly from the traffic department are said to be the main perpetrators of corruption, as some demand bribes from motorists who have broken the law.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Dithapelo Keorapetse, has this week rightly washed his hands of the mess, refusing to wade into a party squabble that has no clear leadership and no single version of the truth.When a single party sends six different letters to the Speaker’s office, each claiming to be the authoritative voice, it is not just confusion, but an embarrassment.Keorapetse is correct to insist on institutional boundaries. Parliament...