- DCEC pursuing new corruption investigations against Kgosi
LETLHOGILE MPUANG
The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) is recommending for more additional corruption charges against former head of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DISS), Issac Kgosi, The Botswana Gazette has established.
Although, details of these charges are currently unclear, the DCEC have confirmed the existence of active corruption investigations on Kgosi, which will soon be handed over the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for prosecution.
“The DCEC does not have 20 cases against the former Director General of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services but do confirm that we have active investigations against the former Director General, some of which have been completed and are receiving prosecutorial considerations with further continuing engagements between agencies to tie loose ends,” stated an email response from the DCEC media relations.
The said impending charges are believed to be linked with Kgosi’s arrest and raid of his properties in March 2019 by a task force led by the DISS, Botswana Police, DCEC and the Botswana Revenue Services (BURS). Kgosi was said to have been under investigation for corruption and un-explained wealth. The raids were later extended to “Kgosi’s associates”. The late John Little, Shathani July, Otshegeditswe Basiame were some of those who their properties were raided and later returned.
Meanwhile, the state has already lost another of their legal battles against Kgosi in the P250 million National Petroleum Fund (NPF) case. Kgosi was charged alongside Bakang Seretse, Kebonang Brothers and Kenneth Kerekang. When dismissing the matter, High Court Judge Michael Leburu said the charges against Kgosi were” Irrational and unreasonable.” He also added that, despite the case dragging for more than three years, the state had failed to avail substantive evidence to tie Kgosi to the alleged crimes of abuse of office. The state has also failed to charge Kgosi in the P100 billion butterfly case, despite implicating him co-conspirator in the matter. Kgosi is now suing the state for defamation.
Furthermore, the taxman is also demanding P10 million from Kgosi for alleged tax evasion. The tax bill was handed to Kgosi’s wife in July 2019, while he was receiving medical attention in Israel. Kgosi has decided to contest the “exorbitant” bill. He is demanding that BURS should furnish him with his tax documentation for him to oppose its bill.
In July 2019, Kgosi, through his lawyers Thabiso Tafila, told this publication that they had filed an application with the Gaborone High Court to demand all documents seized by the BURS from him for assessment of the claims made by BURS. “It is true that we have written to them requesting that we be furnished with information regarding their claims,” Tafila said. “They have not done that