06 Apr 2016

A state witness in a case in which two men are accused of the murder of a cab driver, Mr Vincent Mopipi, has linked the phone which was found in possession of one of the accused as the one which was used to call the cab company on the night of the murder.

Testifying at the start of the case which is presided over by Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo at the Gaborone High Court on Tuesday, fraud management officer at Mascom Wireless, Ms Dikeledi Modise said their computer system has shown that three cellular phone numbers were used alternatively in the same phone gadget to call Deluxe Cab company on the night of September 13, 2013.

Ms Modise, who gave a long testimony, which was punctuated by vigorous cross examination from defence lawyer, Ms Dikeledi Dingake, annulled insinuation that the computer system at Mascom Wireless was susceptible to errors. She noted that should anything go wrong while extracting the information, it would automatically sound an alarm. She said after abstracting the information requested, they carefully verify it before handing it over to the lawful authority.

In addition, she confirmed that she was qualified to extract such information and could be employed by any mobile company to do the same with confidence. 

Giving evidence in chief, Deluxe control centre operator, Mr Oarabile Koketso said during the day in question, he received a call at around 9pm from a certain Mokobi from Aeros Entertainment Centre in Tlokweng asking to be taken to the University of Botswana (UB).

He told the court that he took the caller’s cellular phone number, location of pick-up and final destination. Mr Koketso then radioed one of the cab drivers in the field to pick-up the said client, but said when the client’s number was called it was not available.

He said after sometime the same client made a second call to the control centre and apologised for having given a wrong number earlier on. He, however, said he had moved to Puma Service Station near Choppies shops.

That was when the deceased, who was also closer to the location, was radioed to pick up the client who appeared to have not been alone because upon arrival he called the control centre to inform it that the clients had changed their destination to Block 9 in Gaborone. Asked by the defence lawyer representing one of the accused whether he was certain that the person who called again was the initial caller, Mr Koketso said he was certain as the voice was the same and also confirmed the same information which he gave earlier.

Mr Koketso also said he could confirm that the person whom he was speaking to was a man because he was able to distinguish between the vocal cords of a man and a woman.  He later admitted however that some women have the same tone of voice as their male counterparts. In addition, he said he could also confirm that the man was a Motswana as he was speaking fluent Setswana. He was however unmoved when asked whether there were no foreigners who could speak Setswana fluently.

Meanwhile, Ms Modise is to undergo yet another cross examination from Mr Kabelo Nkwe, who is representing Moabi Mabiletsa. Mabiletsa’s co-accused Matshidiso Boikanyo, who is in remand, is represented by Dingake.

The two have pleaded not guilty to the offence and could face capital punishment should they be found guilty of the murder of Mr Mopipi, whose case has attracted his relatives, including his father. Ms Sally Boitumelo from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions prosecutes and will seal her case by calling an investigating officer. Ends