A high-stakes showdown between former Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services Peter Magosi and Botswana’s current and former presidents is bubbling over following the corruption probe over an elusive P45 million Karakul procurement deal.
The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) has launched a sweeping investigation into the covert procurement of rare Karakul sheep from Uzbekistan, an operation executed by the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) under a dense cloak of national security.
Sunday Standard has been informed that the unfolding probe has successfully pierced the highest echelons of power, with investigators officially interrogating former President Mokgweetsi Masisi. During his questioning, Masisi allegedly pleaded ignorance, shifting the entire burden of accountability onto his former intelligence chief, retired Brigadier Peter Magosi.
As the state tightens its net around the retired intelligence boss, unconfirmed media reports indicate that Magosi has issued a devastating, scorched-earth warning to President Advocate Duma Boko’s current administration. The former spy chief has reportedly threatened to execute a ‘Samson stunt’-vowing to entirely bring down the political temple and expose the dark secrets of the ruling elite if the state attempts to criminally prosecute him.
The Office of the President last week formally confirmed the active existence of the high-level graft investigation. However, executive officials flatly declined to provide any operational details surrounding the P45 million asset trail. Presidential spokespersons insisted that the state will not interfere with active processes, warning that disclosing sensitive transaction records prematurely could deeply compromise and prejudice the integrity of the investigation.
The explosive political drama has now spilled directly into the chambers of Ntlo ya Dikgosi, driven by Botswana’s fourth President, Lt. Gen. Ian Khama. Now sitting as a member of the advisory house, Kgosi Ian Khama IV filed an aggressive legislative inquiry demanding that the government completely declassify the investigation. Khama demanded to know exactly when the corruption probe commenced, which statutory authority holds the investigative mandate, and the precise timeline for its conclusion. He openly challenged the state’s ongoing refusal to explain the missing multi-million-pula asset, questioning why the government continues to hide behind the blanket shield of national security to suppress details of an alleged transaction that dates back to a June 2026 parliamentary inquiry.
Responding on behalf of the executive, Minister for State President, Defence and Security Moeti Mohwasa countered that the administration’s defensive posture remains entirely unchanged. Refusing to satisfy Khama’s specific questions on timelines, Mohwasa maintained that public commentary on any matter directly or indirectly connected to the active case is strictly inappropriate. The minister emphasized that further disclosure would severely prejudice subsequent administrative, disciplinary, or criminal legal actions. While acknowledging that the DIS has historically cited national security concerns to avoid public accountability, Mohwasa reassured the house that independent statutory oversight bodies would ultimately uncover the truth through closed constitutional channels once the final findings are compiled.
The multi-million-pula Karakul controversy first entered the public domain in 2024 through explosive court papers filed by suspended DIS legal officer Kuda Malikongwa. Malikongwa sued the state for wrongful arrest, alleging she was targeted and subjected to a retaliatory smear campaign after refusing direct orders from Magosi to bypass all statutory government procurement protocols. Her sworn affidavits detailed a highly irregular, covert operation where a senior intelligence officer was ordered to bypass treasury oversight and effectively smuggle the elite, desert-acclimatized sheep from Central Asia into Botswana using state funds. Malikongwa’s filings explicitly alleged that the high-value livestock was destined for the private benefit of then-President Masisi.
The scandal reached a humiliating climax when state counsel formally admitted in open court that the government is completely unable to account for the P45,142,152 transaction. The state acknowledged that it has no record of the sheep’s physical whereabouts and cannot even verify if the imported livestock ever touched Botswana soil. As the DCEC attempts to trace the missing millions and President Boko’s administration navigates Magosi’s reported threats, the missing Uzbekistan sheep have transformed into a definitive test of accountability for Botswana’s intelligence apparatus.