Attorney joins panel to discipline whistleblower
Attorney Basimane Bogopa leads a panel of five experts that Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) unleashed on whistleblower Dr Malatsi Galani, who was put on indefinite suspension. This follows Galani tabling an explosive maladministration and corruption report to the University Council against BIUST Vice Chancellor Professor Otlogetswe Totolo.
Bogopa, partner at Bogopa, Manewe, Tobedza & Co, is famous for leading the 2019 Elections court cases for the ruling party, Botswana Democratic Party which famously won against the opposition bloc, Umbrella for Democratic Change’s spirited effort.
Bogopa, who also sits on the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) and Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana boards as chairman, is also the chairperson of the BIUST disciplinary panel against Dr Galani, along with veteran human resource practitioner Bennett Maifala, who currently sits on Botswana Vaccine Institute Board, and is a former CEO that sits in various boards.
BIUST Deputy VC, finance Davis Tele, like Bogopa, also serves on the BSE board, while private architect, Tshoganetso Ratshilo, is another panellist in the disciplinary proceedings currently ongoing in Palapye.
The panel got down to work starting Friday in Palapye as BIUST held the disciplinary proceedings against the whistleblower, Galani, who recently enjoyed the protection of the High Court when it ruled that he did not violate any BIUST procedures as he enjoys protection by the laws of the country.
Despite the protection by the High Court, BIUST went ahead to discipline him against the same charges quashed by the High Court, something Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) representing Dr Galani, who acts as their steward at BIUST, says is a contemptuous action by the university.
BOSETU also wondered why BIUST which had decided to appeal its High Court defeat, decided to go against the High Court ruling.
The Monitor also understands that when the disciplinary hearing got underway over the weekend, BOSETU protested the composition of the panel of experts including the star lawyer and industrial relations experts, while the defendant doesn’t enjoy any of those high-profile experts, arguing that the playing field was therefore not level.
BOSETU also protested the appearance of BIUST Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Atta Ogwu in the proceedings, as they argued that the defendant is supposed to be charged by his immediate supervisor if he is charged in his capacity as a lecturer or by the BIUST board.
If he is charged in his capacity as a Council member, the deputy VC would therefore not be properly before the panel, as he is neither the defendant’s immediate supervisor nor does he sits on the BIUST board.
BOSETU also protested that two of BIUST staff members charged alongside Dr Galani were only made to write witness statements and got away with the same crime.
The union also wondered why a higher-ranking official of the university, Totolo, with so much incriminating evidence against him from the whistleblower, was so heavily protected while the university went all out to humiliate the whistleblower in the manner they were.