PHILLIMON MMESO
editors@thepatriot.co.bw
The tension between the top Directorate of Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) and Directorate of Intelligence Services (DIS) is alleged to have reached a boiling point.
Inside sources have revealed that DCEC Director-General Tymon Katlholo and Director Joas Carlos Salbany are unwanted men in the corruption-bursting agency. They are said to be refusing to tow the line. Highly placed sources have revealed that DIS Director-General Peter Magosi has recommended that they be fired from DCEC as they fail to investigate some corruption cases brought before them.
The Deputy Public Prosecutor Priscilla Israel is said to be the preferred person to lead the DCEC, and it will not be the first time she was transferred to the corruption agency. She was recently deployed to DCEC as Deputy Director-General before the transfers were reversed after Katlholo complained to the Office of the President and Public Accounts Committee. He informed the PAC that he was not engaged or consulted by his superiors at OP when his management team was deployed and was not happy with the move.
Katholo said transferring the officers who said they were well experienced was a drawback as it would be difficult to find officers experienced as they were. This came after most of the senior officers at DCEC, including Katlholo’s deputy Ernest Mosate, were deployed to other government ministries in what was viewed as overhauling the institution.
Things are said to have come head-on when the two informed South Africa’s Afriforum lead Advocate Gerrie Nel that the high profile P100 billion case known as the ‘the Butterfly case’ was just a distractive wild goose chase. The DCEC top brass has informed Advocate Nel that there is no concrete evidence to charge Wilhelmina Maswabi.
This is said to have not sat down well with Magosi, who is alleged to have recommended President Mokgweetsi Masisi through Permanent Secretary to the President Emma Peloetletse that the two be relieved of their duties.
“When the two were appointed there was a believe that they have issues to settle with the previous administration and will cooperate in ensuring that those high-profile cases are pushed through but it seems they have taken a different direction,” revealed the source.
The two are advised against some cases to be hurriedly taken to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for prosecution before thorough investigations are done.
In leaked audio early this year, Salbany was heard differing with Magosi and Deputy Public Prosecutor Priscilla Israel regarding the route to be taken regarding the Butterfly.
Concerted efforts to get comments from both Magosi and Katlholo proved futile at the time of going to press.
DCEC Intelligence Unit to be disbanded
Information gathered by this publication has revealed that there are plans to disband the DCEC Intelligence Unit and transfer the officers to DIS. Recent DIS have been doing investigations on issues of corruption parallel to what the DCEC officers have been doing, something that is said to have not sat well with Katlholo. This will not be the first time that the DIS recommends the dismantling of the DCEC Intelligence Unit. In 2014, the then Spy Chief Isaac Kgosi suggested then-President Ian Khama dismantle the unit.