Following public outrage, Botswana’s government has revised a controversial spy bill which would have allowed investigators to intercept private communications without a court order. Under the revised bill, tapping private conversations now becomes an offense.
Botswana’s government removed controversial clauses in the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Bill, presented to parliament last month. The initial bill allowed investigators to bug communication devices and gave state agents immunity from prosecution.
In that version of the bill, there was no oversight body and investigating officers were also allowed to assume fake identities.
But on Friday, the government introduced a revised bill to parliament that will now make it an offense to tap conversations. An oversight body will be established under the control of the minister.
Opposition member of parliament Dithapelo Keorapetse welcomes the changes but still has concerns about the proposed law.
“What the state sought to do through this law, in its original form as it was gazette, tabled, read for the first time and second time, was to legitimize state terrorism,” said Keorapetse. “That is what we opposed.”
He says pressure from civic society groups led to the government removing what he calls the offending clauses of the bill.
source: VOA