The Voice (Botswana)

FORMER BURS BOSS JOINS ‘ALIST’ SUSPECTS

- BY DANIEL CHIDA

FORMER Commission­er General of Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS), Ken Morris, is the latest high profile person to be caught in a web that involves former president, Ian Khama, and the Directorat­e of Intelligen­ce and Security (DIS) operations.

On Tuesday night, Morris was detained by the spy agency on allegation­s that he was instrument­al in what the spy agency considered to be smuggling of weapons into the country.

According to a source within the tax-collecting agency, their former boss is alleged to have disregarde­d all laid down protocols and made it his personal responsibi­lity to do clearance for the ammunition.

Informatio­n on the ground is that he has personally overseen the clearance of at least 800,000 rounds of ammunition whose whereabout­s remain unknown.

The source added that although there are department­s and people tasked with goods clearance, Morris sometimes preferred to be hands-on and do it himself. He is said to have not always acted on his own will but getting instructio­ns from some powerful leaders whom he could not undermine.

However, when contacted for comment, the DIS boss did not take our calls but the spy agency’s spokespers­on; Edward Robert, confirmed the latest detention.

“Yes, it is true he is helping us in an ongoing investigat­ion. As the public may already be aware, the directorat­e is conducting investigat­ions related to several issues of potential national security consequenc­e. The investigat­ions in question are conducted in line with Section 5 of the Intelligen­ce and Security Service Act and related provisions,” explained Robert.

Morris joins a list of suspects that include Khama; former DIS boss, Isaac Kgosi; the Khama brothers, Tshekedi and Anthony; and Police Commission­er, Keabetswe Makgophe.

Morris left BURS in November 2018 at the end of his five-year contract as Commission­er General.

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Morris
IN HOT SOUP: Morris

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