Embattled Director General of Directorate of Intelligence Services (DIS), Peter Magosi, who finds himself pinned against the wall, has launched a blitz to clear his name and the reputation of the spy agency he leads, this publication has learnt.
Central to the strategy is to ensure that Magosi produces concrete evidence to support suspicions that indeed national coffers were looted by his predecessors, at the instigation of former head of state, which has led to the arrest and prosecution of intelligence agent Wilheminah Maswabi popularly known in spy circles as Butterfly.
Both former spy chief Isaac Kgosi and former president Ian Khama are heavily implicated, alongside South African banks and citizens – among them Bridgette Motsepe-Radebe, in the alleged P100 billion looting.
DIS is said to have identified foreign interference in their investigations following the money trail across borders and behind closed doors they are pointing a finger at neighbouring South Africa. Through a network of moles spread across the region, Magosi is said to have identified an emerging and more subtle threat of foreign interference, the act by foreign agents to try to influence decisions of the Executive in Botswana to ensure that he is booted out. Non Traditional Actors (NTA) like the media and influential politicians are allegedly used to push the agenda.
Highly placed sources have revealed that Magosi has enlisted the services of top moles within the region and internationally; some of whom he worked closely with whilst still at Military Intelligence to crack the case of the missing P100 billion allegedly stolen from government accounts held by Bank of Botswana.
“The blunder that Magosi made was to rush with the case to court while investigations were still on-going, thus giving those under investigation an opportunity to cover their tracks. There is a strong suggestion that the P100 billion was not taken in cash but was rather looted through financial instruments, which are currently still being traced,” a source revealed.
Financial instruments are assets that can be traded, or they can also be seen as packages of capital that may be traded.
Magosi is alleged to have now changed his strategy and replaced some of the DIS moles whom he felt were comprised as some have close relationship with the previous administration. “There was too much leaking of vital information and it was discovered that some of the spies where still loyal to the previous administration and deliberately leaked information,” revealed the source.
Information gathered by this publication has shown that currently the DIS operatives have managed to trace P60 million to a bank in Israel. The money is said to have been distributed to personal accounts of some of those implicated in the alleged looting.
Investigation by the team of intelligence officers has allegedly unearthed a companies owned by former spies registered in South Africa which is suspected to have been used to launder some of the money.
The continued investigations in South Africa, which has implicated even a top intelligence advisor to African National Congress (ANC), is said to have ruffled feathers in South Africa.
Early this year, DIS operative in South Africa is allegedly to have had a meeting with the advisor to help them to trace the laundered money but he refused. “He told him to his face that he is not going to help Botswana as they have humiliated him in the media claiming that he was involved in the alleged coup,” revealed the source.
Although both Gaborone and Pretoria vehemently denied that the recent aborted meeting between President Mokgweetsi Masisi and the South Africa Minister Ayanda Dlodlo had nothing to do with issues of appointing AfriForum to assist it in tracing the missing P100 billion, information gathered by this publication point to that direction.
Pretoria is allegedly not happy that Gaborone appointed a far right wing organisation to represent them to trace money laundered through South African banks.
Dlodlo was expected to talk to President Masisi and request him to allow the South African government to help them but Botswana is said to have put their foot down and refused to back down. Concerted efforts to get comment from spy chief Magosi proved futile as he didn’t pick his phone nor respond to the questions sent to him.