Inside the armoured cars procurement that shook DIS

DIS never intended to buy millions of pula worth of armoured cars but the security organ’s fascination was ignited during a 2019 security exhibition in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mmegi has established.

Following the conclusion of an investigation relating to the leakage of classified information about the procurement of armoured vehicles for specialised use by Very Very Important People (VVIP), information reaching Mmegi shows that a DIS agent was allegedly ensnared by the International Armoured Group (IAG), during the 2019 International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX), therefore, leading to the government procuring the lucrative toys.

IAG is one of the largest privately owned armoured vehicle manufacturers in the world and during the 2019 IDEX, the IAG amongst others unveiled three new armoured vehicles specifically designed for modern military and law enforcement units. IDEX on the other side is the most strategically important tri-service defence exhibition in the world and the only international defence exhibition and conference in the MENA region demonstrating the latest technology across land, sea and air sectors of defence.

“It is based on that exhibition that the International Armoured Group (IAG) impressed and specifications obtained that would later lead to their engagement for the supply of the armoured vehicles for use by VVIPS. This followed a decision to procure five armoured vehicles, three Land Cruiser and two Lexus [vehicles] armoured at level six,” a leaked classified report submitted to the DIS by investigating officer and former permanent Secretary at the then Ministry of Environment, Natural Resource Conservation and Tourism, Dr Oduetse Koboto revealed.

After the interest to acquire the vehicles, Koboto further indicated in a report that a request for procurement was submitted to the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB) Special Procurement and Asset Disposal Committee (SPADC) on June 18, 2019, for direct appointment of IAG which was subsequently approved on July 8, 2019.

The Invitation to Tender (ITT) was then prepared to commence procurement and shared with IAG on July 30, 2019. Following the response to the ITT by IAG, evaluations were conducted until approvals were granted by SPADC for the procurement of the vehicles on September 20, 2019. “In response to the ITT, IAG had requested an advance payment and all the requisite approvals were sought from SPADC including provision of advance payment guarantee by IAG on September 3, 2019, through Emirates NBD Trade Finance Services”, said Koboto.

Koboto also indicated that afterwards contracts were prepared by Attorney General’s Chambers before the 50% advance payment was made to the company which was subsequently paid.

Koboto further revealed that the Director General of the DIS, Peter Magosi and Deputy Director General, Kenamile Badubi then assembled a new team and included Director of Transport, Moakofi Modisenyane. The team is said to have visited the IAG in Dubai first from September 14, 2019, to September 17, 2019 to confirm vehicle specifications and prepare for the execution of the project.

The second trip followed and also included Badubi and Modisenyane on January 20-23, 2020. This was a liaison mission on progress in the execution of the project. Furthermore the third and final mission in UAE was from October 26, 2020 to November 1, 2020, for final delivery inspection. “Badubi and Modisenyane were this time joined by Malebogo Barati who was undergoing training on secure communication with the UAE intelligence branch. Further, a security advisor Henrico Van Wyk was also part of the team. It was during this mission that the vehicles were also tested and cleared for delivery,” Koboto pointed out.

Now, detailing the incident which led to the leakage and eventually the suspension of four DIS officers, Koboto disclosed that on January 18, 2021, Van Wyk received a video of the cars from the factory as the vehicles were being prepared for shipping and this was done to show evidence that indeed the vehicles would be leaving UAE.

“It is on this same day that Van Wyk sent the same video to Badubi as evidence of the vehicles being shipped to Botswana. The video was captioned ‘there are the cars being shipped.’ This message was sent around 0635. On the same day at around 1003, the video was shared with Magosi,” further read the report. Then, on February 4, 2021, a video similar to the one that Badubi shared with Magosi was seen circulating on social media on Daniel Kenosi Facebook page.

“It is also on the same dates that Botswana Guardian was also enquiring from the DIS public relations office on the veracity of the reports on procurement of VVIPs armoured vehicles.”

In terms of procuring the vehicles, Koboto shows that procurement files for the concerned vehicles were inspected with the view to establishing whether proper procurement processes were followed and further determining the safety of the information in the files of the DIS.

“The DIS does not have its own procurement processes by law or policy. Its procurement follows the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act.

Pursuant to that, it has been established that as a special procurement, the PPAD Act procedures on special procurements were followed as it went through SPADC,” Koboto said.