13 Aug 2014

The prosecution in a case in which Taku Gandari is facing a single count of murder has assured the Village Magistrate Court that it will soon serve him with all necessary documents before he could be committed to the High Court.

The prosecutor, Ms Thato Gower from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said everything had been finalised and the documents were awaiting the signature of the director.

She said the signing, which normally does not take long, was anticipated to be done this week and it would therefore allow the prosecutor to furnish Gandari with all statements to study before he could be committed to High Court.

Furthermore, Ms Gower said the prosecution intended to furnish him with such documents at prison and commit him in the next mention which will be on August 25, 2014.

The delay in the committal of the case to the High Court was mainly due to the adoption of new Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, which compels forensic analysts to write statements instead of filing of an affidavit only.

Gandari was supposed to have been at least committed last month on July 28, 2014, as per the assertion of the prosecution, but due to these new set of regulations, the move was curtailed.

The court has however in the past given numerous assurances that committal will take place even before the new statute came into place, but to no avail.
Gandari has been in custody since March last year and has recently lost his uphill battle at the Gaborone High Court to be given bail.

Gandari is accused of the murder of his Motswana wife, Omphile last year on March 8, at Maipei ward in Mmopane after an alleged misunderstanding between the couple.

The Zimbabwean-born Gandari who is a builder by profession and has properties in Mmopane that include his house and vehicles had previously contemplated engaging a legal counsel but could not secure one, thus he was self-represented at his recent bail hearing, which he lost.
Gandari told the court that he had nothing to say. Ends