A DIS officer claims she was suspended and arrested after exposing alleged corruption and safety risks at the national airline
GAZETTE REPORTER
A Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) officer has made explosive revelations about alleged maladministration, procurement irregularities, and potential national security risks at Air Botswana, claiming she was suspended after exposing critical lapses in the airline’s operations.
According to a confidential letter dated October 28, 2025, from Monthe Marumo & Co., legal representatives of Pulane Pretty Kgoadi, the officer has filed an urgent application before the High Court seeking redress over her suspension, arrest, and interrogation linked to her role in investigations into the national carrier.
The letter, addressed to Emma Peloetletse, Permanent Secretary to the President, details Kgoadi’s account of events that allegedly unfolded as she and her team investigated Air Botswana’s operational integrity, aviation safety, and possible corruption in the airline’s fleet expansion exercise.
SERIOUS SECURITY CONCERNS
The correspondence, copied to the Office of the President, cites serious security concerns that “placed the safety of Batswana and international air users at risk.” It further alleges that some senior personnel at Air Botswana, including the Director of Flight Operations and Head of Engineering, occupied positions for which they lacked requisite qualifications — a breach of Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) regulations.
Kgoadi’s legal team claims that the re-fleeting project, intended to modernize the national airline’s fleet, was in fact “a simulated transaction for unlawful purposes.” They warn that the poorly executed procurement could result in Botswana losing its international aviation accreditation, undermining efforts to attract foreign carriers as part of the country’s economic diversification strategy.
FLAWED PROCUREMENT PROCESS
The letter also alleges that the procurement process “was undertaken without the involvement of the regulator,” and that “no due diligence had been conducted on the aircrafts identified for purchase.” Despite these red flags, the lawyers say, “an initial payment had already been processed,” for planes that “would not be able to fly upon arrival in Botswana as they did not meet CAAB requirements.”
Before the investigation could be escalated to the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) for further probing, Kgoadi was allegedly removed from the investigation following a complaint by Air Botswana CEO Lulu Rasebotsa. Her removal was reportedly followed by her arrest, the search of her home, and suspension from duty.
HIGH NATIONAL SECURITY
In a further twist, the letter claims that Kgoadi had also participated in a covert investigation implicating her superior, DIS Director-General Peter Fana Magosi, an operation said to have been sanctioned by former president Mokgweetsi Masisi. The letter accuses Peloetletse of leaking information about this covert operation to Magosi, allegedly “interfering with the course of justice and possible criminal investigation.”
Kgoadi’s lawyers have requested a meeting with Peloetletse to clarify whether payments were processed for the questionable aircraft after her suspension, and whether the Office of the President was aware that a senior DIS officer had been involved in the deal.
They warned that should the Presidency fail to respond, legal action would follow, emphasizing that the matter is of “high national security and public importance.”