‘Publicised’ DIS arrests raise debate
‘Why does the DIS publicise arrests?’ – Saleshando ‘DIS should not publicise arrests’ – Skelemani ‘DIS doesn’t invite the media to arrests’ – Morwaeng
Government has defended a number of publicised arrests carried by the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) in the public eye recently. Recent DIS high profile arrests included suspended Police Commissioner, Keabetswe Makgophe, Khama twin brothers Anthony and Tshekedi, the latter’s wife Thea Khama, former commissioner general of Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS), Ken Morris and lately former executive employees of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DW&NP) this week.
The matter raised a heated debate in Parliament yesterday. In the DIS’ defence, Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Dumezweni Mthimkhulu said he was not aware if the spy agency could publicise arrests since their operations are covert.
He lamented that he does not believe the DIS could do that since it is not supposed to in accordance with its Act. “You cannot conduct covert operations and publicise them to the public,” he said.
Mthimkhulu was responding to the Leader of Opposition (LOO), Dumelang Saleshando who had asked the minister to state the number of arrests carried out by the DIS in the last three years. Mthimkhulu, however, refused to answer the question stating that it will be ill-advised to publicise information regarding DIS arrests.
Speaking of publicising, Saleshando had further asked why the DIS publicises the arrests and even invite the media to cover the incidents. He said he does not know how revealing the number of arrests could tamper with investigations.
“I am looking for historical information that the DIS does in full view of the public eye. The DIS arrest people publicly not in a covert manner. They have the option of arresting people in a secret manner, but their arrests are done in full glare of the
public,”
Saleshando said. He added that if such arrests were indeed covert, there is no way the press would be able to know when and where the arrests would be made.
“The DIS does invite journalists to cover,” he said. Mthimkhulu, however, maintained that the investigations of the DIS are by nature covert operations because they gather intelligence in a covert way.
He said it would be unfortunate if the DIS calls the media whenever there is an arrest. He added that revealing the number of arrested suspects may end up forcing the spy agency to reveal the nature of the arrests and therefore release sensitive information to the public.
Coming to his junior minister’s rescue, the Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Kabo Morwaeng said it is not correct that the DIS invites the media when it conducts arrests. But the Speaker of the National Assembly, Phandu Skelemani agreed that there were one or two incidents where the DIS arrests were public and the latter should not have let the situation of their arrests be publicised.
“Reference or allusion to such specific information would ordinarily prejudice strategic and investigative objectives of operations, which necessitated the arrests some of which are ongoing. However, the House can be rest assured that the arrests conducted by the DIS are done within the laws of Botswana and are guided by the Intelligence and Security Act.
DIS conducts arrests in terms of Section 21 of its Act. The arrests are conducted based on information, which contains reasonable basis to warrant the intervention of the
Directorate as envisaged in its establishing
Act.
Once arrests are conducted and further relevant information is established, the Directorate shares it with other law enforcement entities for different purposes,” Mthimkhulu further stated. Saleshando asked again whether Skelemani permits Mthimkhulu not to fully answer the question on the basis of national security. Skelemani said he does not have the authority to instruct the minister what to say, but instead he can agree with the minister when questions are likely to reveal matters which will affect DIS operations.
Mthimkhulu said he did not have the number of arrests and never requested them because he knew it could tamper with national security.
The matter has since been deferred to the right committee. But the recent publicised arrests are nothing new because it all started with the dramatic arrest of former DIS director-general, Isaac Kgosi at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in January 2019.
In a movie style sting, Kgosi was nabbed by a team of intelligence officers and other law enforcement officers, handcuffed and taken into custody upon his return from India. The incident took place in front of the media and was coordinated by DIS director-general, Peter Magosi, Kgosi’s successor. Magosi personally escorted Kgosi to waiting vehicles
outside the airport.