Answering a question in Parliament this week, the Gaborone South legislator added that currently the DIS has a limited number of officers on interdiction and paid leave. Citing risk inherent in the intelligence community and the job environment, Mthimkhulu refused to disclose the number and ranks of officers currently on interdiction. He said revealing the numbers has the potential to compromise the service and its personnel.
Mthimkhulu also said he cannot disclose how long some agents have been enjoying benefits while sitting at home. Some agents are said to be on lengthy suspension with full benefits, without the conclusion of a disciplinary process. “However those on interdiction are not allowed access and use of service weapons and government vehicles,” he clarified. While there were worries of vacuum in key positions at the spy agency, Mthimkhulu also confirmed that none of the interdicted officers has been replaced.
Member of Parliament for Palapye Onneetse Ramogapi further questioned the minister if they arrest and release innocent DIS agents without charge and trial solely for punishment and harassment. Ramogapi decried the fact that not even preliminary charges, allowing these agents to be held while the investigation goes on, were known. “Is it true that you arrest DIS agents who were friends with former president like the deputy director?” Mthimkhulu said Ramogapi’s question was based on speculation but rather people who are arrested are usually detained to help with certain investigations. “If you really know this deputy director like you claim, you should already know that actions have been taken against him,” lamented Mthimkhulu. Mthimkhulu said he could not reveal more because of issues of national security.
When other legislators probed Mthimkhulu further for failing to answer the question in full, Speaker of the National Assembly Phandu Skelemani said it will be dangerous for Mthimkhulu to disclose numbers of officers currently on interdiction at DIS because amongst the MPs were enemies. The Leader of Opposition Dumelang Saleshando said he did not understand the background for this secrecy and expressed fear that the Speaker continues to allow ministers to get away with evading questions solely on the basis of national security.
While the DIS has in the past assured there was no agents crises, some intelligence officers have been transferred, fired and suspended since the current director-general Peter Magosi took over from Kgosi in 2018. In the clean-up campaign and ensuring the purge of those who were close to former president Ian Khama and former DIS Director General Isaac Kgosi, the DIS is said to have suspended and fired some of its top agents on suspicion of leaking highly classified information.
Sources with direct knowledge of the recent suspensions at the controversial spy agency have revealed that some of the suspensions have been attributed to the fallout between Magosi and some senior intelligence agents. Others are understood to be facing misconduct charges. Already some critics have expressed fears that the recent detention of top intelligence officials may harm the reputation of the agency further.
