BDP benefited 5% from P550 million govt tender
We do not discuss our financials with the media – BDP
Sordid secrets surrounding the controversial Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) tender that was awarded to president Masisi’s sister and nephew continue to tumble out of the closet as the battle for the half-a-billion pula rages on in court.
This week, the latest to be exposed in the bitter fight for the money was the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
In fresh documents filed before the Gaborone High court on August 10th, 2022 by the President’s nephew, Olebile Pilane, who has dragged Masisi’s sister, Boitumelo Phadi-Mmutle, and others to court, Pilane makes startling revelations on the secret dirty dealings of how public funds were siphoned through the WUC tender straight into the BDP coffers.
The disgruntled Pilane, who is seeking his 40% share of the tender proceeds, has revealed that BDP has already benefited 5% from the Goodhope Sub-District water tender mobilisation funds.
The joint venture tender was awarded to G and M (pty) Ltd, a company owned by Pilane and Phadi-Mmutle, and another company, Tianyuan construction.
The dispute, however, between the president’s family, arose after Pilane was elbowed out fraudulently from G&M soon after the P550 million tender was awarded.
Now he has come out guns blazing at his aunt and other business associates for allegedly pushing him out in what he has perceived as an attempt to defraud him of his share of the loot.
In a fresh writ of summons before court, Pilane has argued that he was coerced into relinquishing his directorship from G&M after preparing and submitting winning tender documents.
His lawyers have stated that, “When the plaintiff (Pilane) indicated his refusal to sign the letter (of resignation), he was threatened by both the fourth defendants (a certain Huahi Li) and MS Mmutle that some state security agents would be sent to him to ensure that he signs the said letter.”
Apparently, “As a consequence of the above, the plaintiff immediately and reluctantly signed the letter of resignation as a director of the first defendant. The plaintiff has not, in terms of the company’s act signed for the transfer of any of his shares in the first defendant to anybody,” Pilane’s lawyers further stated.
But before being forced to resign as a director, Pilane reveals that he was instructed to agree with G&M’s 5% payment to the BDP.
“Soon after tendering by the first defendant, the fourth defendant started making some unreasonable demands on the plaintiff, which were not related to functions and duties of the first defendant, which the plaintiff rejected. One such demand was for the first defendant to make a payment of 5% of the contract sum to the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP),” Masisi’s nephew has further indicated in his court documents.
Turning to what he is entitled to, Pilane revealed that he was deserving of over P17 million of the P550 million water tender.
“The first defendants’ 40% share of the said profit would be P43,975,972.36. The plaintiff’s share in the first defendants’ profit of P43,975,972.38 (which would be the amount owed to their company from the 40/60% joint venture) is P17,590,388.95,” Pilane has argued.
This is not the first time the president’s family has squared up in court over the Goodhope water tender. In the first instance, as reported by The Voice Newspaper a few weeks ago, Pilane had filed a petition to dissolve the company completely but quickly applied to withdraw the matter in what has turned out to be a tactical retreat.
However, before Phadi-Mmutle and her business associates could enjoy their short-lived victory, the determined nephew, who is the son of the late former MP for Francistown West, Tshelang Masisi, blindsided his aunt with fresh summons for the matter to be argued in court since there was a dispute of facts before.
Meanwhile, The Voice reached out to BDP mouthpiece, Kagalelo Kentse, and quizzed him about the statement made in court by the president’s nephew.
Kentse’s curt retort was, “We do not discuss our financials with media.”
Pressed further to respond to whether the BDP, which promised to fight corruption bare-handedly during their 2019 general elections campaign was corrupt or not, the BDP spokesperson said, “Bring forth proof of such allegations.”