BG correspondent

The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) is sniffing around former University of Botswana (UB) employee Gomolemo Motswaledi concerning a P68 000 he spent on a benchmarking trip to South Africa.
On Tuesday the assistant minister of Education and Skills Development, Keletso Rakhudu told parliament about an officer at UB who was last year sent as part of his portfolio responsibility for benchmarking and professional development at three different institutions. The P68 000 was given to him, as imprest to cover accommodation, subsistence, travel and tuition.
He said over P58 000 was for accommodation and subsistence while P10 000 was for travel costs.  “The funds were approved in line with the university financial procedures. No action has been taken as there was nothing to normalise as there was no anomaly in the arrangement,” said Rakhudu.  The assistant minister stated that from time to time the university identifies its officers for benchmarking and professional development and refresher courses.
Asked by MP for Shoshong Phillip Makgalemele to divulge the name of the officer and whether he can confirm that the said officer is being subjected to investigations by the DCEC on the matter the assistant minister refused to name the officer and on the issue of the investigations by DCEC said, “it does not mean that when someone is being investigated he is then guilty.”
Meanwhile, Botswana Guardian investigations have unearthed the said officer as none other than Motswaledi who recently took a leave of absence from the university this year build the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), a breakaway of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). BMD sources read nothing but political intrigue by the BDP in the DCEC probe.
“It’s BDP, they just want to embarrass Motswaledi,” said a BMD source. Gaborone South MP, Kagiso Molatlhegi who wanted to know why the said officer received funds to undertake a benchmarking trip to South Africa, popped the question about the UB officer. He also wanted Rakhudu to make a budget breakdown and whether the internal process undertaken to approve the funding was procedural.
Meanwhile, when contacted to state whether they are investigating the said officer, DCEC’s public relations officer, Lentswe Motshoganetsi said: “Normally when we have a matter which is under investigations we don’t comment on it as this may jeopardise our investigations.” He would neither confirm if the officer being investigated was Gomolemo Motswaledi.
For his part Motswaledi referred all questions on the issue to the management of the university. “The best people to ask are at UB.” Asked if he reads political malice from the Molatlhegi question and the investigations Motswaledi stated, “Look I have never come across the question and no one from the DCEC contacted me on the issue but like I said the UB are in the best position to answer all questions about the trip and the amount used.”
Botswana Guardian understands that the DCEC have so far contacted the UB vice chancellor, Bojosi Otlhogile, on the issue.