The Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism Tshekedi Khama has defended himself over the transactions that he ordered at Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), saying he was misled by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Thabo Dithebe. Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Statutory Bodies, Khama said he was informed by the CEO that in the absence of the Board of Directors he had power to take any decision. “I have always been told that I have the authority to take any major decision affecting the operations of BTO and most of the decisions were with the advice of the CEO,” said Khama when asked about the P17 million deal that BTO signed with GAFA Media to open an office in Dubai. In August BTO signed a contract with GAFA Media to open an office in Dubai. But BTO CEO Dithebe said last week that he was not part of the deal as it was signed by a junior officer Jilian Blackbeard who was assigned by Khama. Khama vehemently denied that he instructed Blackbeard to sign the deal as he was not even in Dubai at that time. “The CEO was there in Dubai and I wonder whether he was there on…