14 Mar 2022

Former Debswana Diamond Company managing director (MD), Mr Balisi Bonyongo will on Thursday March 17 take the witness box before Justice Abednego Tafa of Gaborone High Court in defense of his former employer. 

The former MD will be giving evidence in a case in which Infotrac Propriety Limited is suing the mining giants of P110 million for unpaid debt. 

Infotrac is accusing Debswana for failing to honour a verbal contractual agreement made in 2018, for consultancy services it had offered to lobby for the late Mr Albert Milton to become the next managing director of Debswana, a position he was later appointed to. 

However, Debswana attorney, Mr John Carr-Hartley had disputed the claim before the court saying Infotrac had in fact entered into an agreement with Mr Milton on his personal capacity. 

He said it was Debswana’s position that the late Mr Milton was in the pole position to ascend to the position, as his competitor pulled off from the race and the then managing director, Mr Bonyongo had preferred him. In fact, Mr Carr-Hartley said Infotrac was engaged by the company to investigate an alleged love affair between Mr Milton and a certain colleague. 

The Debswana attorney, had also disputed the fee placed by the plaintiff, describing it as, “outrageous and unbelievable”. 

Mr Bonyongo would be the third Debswana witness after two witnesses, senior commercial manager Mr Mokwadi Koloka and acting senior security manager, Mr Tawana Chilume took to the witness box on Thursday. 

During their cross examination, the plaintiff’s attorney, Mr Kgosietsile Ngakayagae told the two witnesses separately that they would have no knowledge of the disputed agreement that existed between Infotrac Limited and Debswana.  

“This contract in the sum of P100 million, at both personal level and official level, you would have no knowledge about it,” Mr Ngakayagae said to Mr Koloka who affirmed to that. 

Mr Koloba further explained that he came across the case when preparing to appear before court.  He also conceded to Mr Ngakayagae’s statement that non-compliance to procurement processes and systems was something that Debswana appreciated and had put remedial procedures in place. 

Mr Koloka also described it as shocking that Debswana could enter into a verbal agreement with Infotrac without the board knowledged. 

Another witness, Mr Chilume also conceded that he would not have been involved in the contract then, as it would have been handled by his supervisor who has since left Debswana. 

Further, he admitted before the court that Debswana had put cameras in the toilets of employees, which was intended to catch diamond thieves. However, he said he was not in a position to deny nor confirm if the cameras had been removed from the toilets. 

“It was an issue before the court, but out of public decency I would think they were removed, but I would not deny nor confirm,” said Mr Chilume. 

The case would continue before Justice Tafa on Thursday March 17. Ends