23 Jul 2020

The Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DIS) is undergoing restructuring  to produce and analyse the intelligence necessary for the nation’s protection.

In a presentation to the Parliament Account Committee (PAC), DIS director general, Brigadier Peter Magosi said the restructuring, expected to be completed in April next year, would among others enable the organisation to effectively collaborate with all stakeholders.

The restructuring, he said, would bring Batswana closer to the security organ and root out elements that may have impeded it from fully delivering on its mandate.

Brigadier Magosi said DIS  was in constant contact with other international intelligence agencies  on the restructuring exercise.

The idea was to institute best practices to ensure professionalism and accountability within the organ, he said.

He said the recent establishment of certain units within the organisation was testimony to  DIS’ commitment to strengthening communication channels between it and the public.

“The organisation has for years been facing negative publicity and it is upon us to iron out all destructive perception that has been over shadowing the good mandate of the agency,” he said.

Brigadier Magosi said he wanted to see the revival of intelligence oversight bodies particularly the parliamentary intelligence and security committee as well as the  tribunal.

It was important to evaluate the existing oversight regime and to establish if it covered the five basic oversight principles of internal control, executive control, parliamentary oversight, judicial review and external oversight, he said.

 Such oversights, he said,  should be sufficient for the intelligence community operating in a modern democracy.

The DIS boss said the organ strived to cordially work with all security organs such as Botswana Defence Force, Botswana Police Service, Botswana Police Service and Botswana Unified Revenue Service.

The inter-connectivity, he said,  was yielding positive results as it  was curbing deeply rooted poaching and eradicating criminal syndicates.

He pleaded with PAC to assist in mobilising the community and creating cordial working relations between DIS and the public.

That, he said, would enable  the agency to serve the nation in fighting economic crime, corruption and terrorism, all of which posed a threat to the country’s transformation and stability.

Brigadier Magosi said DIS worked closely with accounting officers to strategise on preventing the milking of government coffers through corrupt tender awards.

He dismissed allegations of DIS’ involvement in illegal wiretapping.

Brigadier Magosi said the country’s information technology network connectivity was prone to cyber-hacking.  

He also admitted knowledge of existence of illicit local money laundering activities and black money markets. 

The perpetrators always escaped jail time due to court leniency, he said and called for rigid money laundering penalties. ends