Fingers point to Magosi for another leak

In one of Botswana’s most gripping and significant covert operation leaks of the President’s security, fingers are once again pointing at the chief spy himself, DIS Director-General (DG) Peter Magosi. Information passed over to Mmegi recently revealed lengthy disciplinary proceedings against the long-suspended Magosi’s second-in-command, Kenamile Badubi. The spy unit suspended Badubi and three others after President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s security was leaked and exposed to the public. The security breach involves leakage of classified information regarding the President’s armoured vehicles even before they arrived in the country.

I n the matter, the DIS had decided to purchase the vehicles after it received intelligence threats to the First Citizen’s life in an operation led by the Deputy DG (Operations), Badubi. Following another top DIS officer accusing Magosi of leaking over 100 DIS officials’ information to the public, yet another leak this time directly affecting the man he is supposed to be protecting at all costs, Magosi is being fingered once more. The background of the matter is that sometime in January 2021, Badubi received a video clip from one Henrico Van Wyk from South Africa via WhatsApp on the progress of shipment of the President’s vehicles. The video, Badubi says in a document leaked to Mmegi, was forwarded only to Magosi.

Detailing what happened, Badubi states, “...in accordance with practice to constantly brief and update the Director-General on the project, I appropriately sent the same video clip to the complainant (Magosi) on January 18, 2021, at around 10:03am via WhatsApp using my official cellphone,” Badubi stated.

In the report seen by Mmegi, Badubi further shares that the complainant acknowledged receipt after, “I had tried several times to send but failing to go through. He went further to enquire on the expected date of the vehicles’ arrival in Botswana. I went further and sent him the intended transport plan. I wish to furthermore put it on record that I have only shared the video clip in question with the DIS Director-General, Brigadier (Rtd) PF Magosi using my official phone and that I have never shared it with Isaac Seabelo Kgosi.” To his surprise, Magosi’s second in command further states that sometime in February 2021, he was called by his senior and was suspended for leaking the video to Kgosi and social media.

“I wish to state that on 10th February 2021 the DIS Director-General, Brigadier (Rtd) Magosi called me to his office and informed me that after meeting his Excellency the President Dr MEK Masisi regarding leaked classified information, he took the decision to suspend me from office on suspicion that I have leaked a video clip on the newly procured VVIP vehicles,” he said.

He continues: “I wish to state further that this was the first time I heard of leaked information on VVIP vehicles and it was coming from the Director-General. I had no idea of any leakage and I did not understand the allegations, which Director-General levelled against me.” Following that, an investigation against Badubi and three others ensued, Mmegi can further reveal that the investigating officer in the President’s armoured vehicles leak was Dr Oduetse Koboto.

Koboto had mentioned that his mandate was to conduct a general enquiry on leaked sensitive information to come up with recommendations for the DIS to prevent such incidents in the future.

“Koboto never warned and/ or cautioned me of the likelihood of charges being preferred against me. It is within my rights in so far as electing not to give a statement and this was never explained to me by the investigating officer. This demonstrated that he investigated me in bad faith,” the confidential report further reads. Punching holes in the DIS investigation on the leakage, Badubi said he handed to the DIS a white iPhone which was his official work cellular phone, but on the report by Koboto, he said the DIS handed to the police for forensic examination a black iPhone.

“Koboto went further to demonstrate that he had no intention of exercising due diligence and the responsibility of burden of proof with evidence during his investigation process. He deliberately ignored to establish that the electronic record and the result, which would emanate from the police forensic examination, came by verified and authentic official cellphone issued by the DIS,” decried Badubi.

He added that Koboto did not make any effort to verify the details of his cellphone when he collected it, nor make any attempt to ask him for any details for record purposes as part of the chain of custody.

In that regard, Badubi concluded that Koboto already had a prearranged cellphone with fabricated details in the form of a black iPhone 11 he purported to be his and this cannot be accepted in the proceedings. Badubi further stated that Koboto failed to interview Magosi, as he was the only person Badubi had sent the video clip to.

Mmegi can also confidently confirm that in fact, according to a private forensic analyst from Uganda, the video was sent and distributed on social media through an email created somewhere in Block 8, Gaborone.

In his charge sheet, Badubi is also accused of having sent the video of the President’s security detail to Kgosi, but in an affidavit seen by Mmegi from Kgosi, he refutes this. Badubi called in Kgosi as a witness.

“Since exiting the organisation (DIS), I have never communicated with the respondent (Badubi) on any matter relating to any operation or an issue regarding the organisation as I had no business to do so. The last time I spoke to Dr Koboto was around 2017–2018,” Kgosi confirmed.

Despite his attempt to clear his name, the DIS has found the Deputy Director guilty and last week recommended to the Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP) that he should be fired from work.

The fallout between Magosi, Badubi

According to an insider within the DIS top brass, Badubi’s woes began when he (Badubi) constantly refused to toe the line and questioned Magosi on excessive expenditure and even on acquisitions that did not fall within the DIS mandate. “Badubi was very vocal against the acquisition of Tautona Lodge and Banyana Farms. He was really against the DIS buying the piece of land because he believed that for one it is not within the agency’s mandate to do and also that they had not budgeted nor was there money to buy the pieces of land,” Mmegi source has revealed.

According to the source who spoke on condition of anonymity, Badubi’s refusal to cooperate irked Magosi. “The timing of Badubi’s woes is just worrisome and the investigation process was just flawed from the beginning. By the time the DIS decided to recommend that he should be fired, the IO had been deployed outside the country and the chairperson of the disciplinary committee Bonolo Khumotaka had resigned.

Even the make-up of the board is somehow linked to Magosi and that cannot be a fair process,” the source further alleged. Efforts to get a comment from Badubi proved futile at the time of going to press.

Meanwhile, for their part when asked about allegations of the DG leaking information, the DIS spokesperson, Edward Robert responded: “The DIS Act criminalises unauthorised disclosure of information. The DG is the custodian of the DIS Act. Therefore, it can not be true that he can participate in any violation of the Act. Such allegations are made by those who have reasons to want to tarnish the name of the directorate and that of its leadership.”

Asked if the DIS has recommended the dismissal of Badubi, Robert said: “My office does not discuss internal matters affecting its operation or its employees with the media. However, your publication can be rest assured that the DIS has established proper structures to ensure professionalism in all its internal processes.”