05 Jun 2014

Magistrate Priscilla Ditlhong of the Village Magistrate Court has been informed that murder accused, Taku Gandari, will be going for his bail hearing at the high court on June 12 after waiting for more than a year.

This development came shortly after Principal Magistrate Goodwill Makofi recently intervened and implored the prosecution to extend the spirit of compassion towards Gandari by assisting him in his bail application.

Principal Magistrate Makofi made the appeal after learning from Gandari that he applied for bail at the High Court in April last year but nothing had happened. At the time Gandari told the magistrate that the High Court wanted the Village Magistrate Court to furnish it with some documents pertaining to his case.

However Principal Magistrate Makofi urged the prosecutor to see how Gandari could be assisted, noting that usually under these circumstances one qualified for bail after staying in prison for a year unless there were some impediments.

Meanwhile, the court was informed that Gandari’ committal documents were not yet ready as investigating officer had not yet recorded a statement from one of the state witnesses.

The prosecutor, Ms Thato Gower, recently told the court that director of DPP, Mr Leonard Sechele, returned the file to the police so that an additional witness statement could be added into it before the case could be committed to the high court.

She explained that the returning of the file added to delays in committing the case to the high court. Ms Gower promised the court that the prosecution was eager to have Gandari’s case committed to the high court for trial.

Gandari is charged for the murder of his wife, Omphile, at Maipei ward in Mmopane in March last year. He will appear again for mention on June 16. Ends