11 Jul 2016

An investigating officer in a murder trial of a cab driver has told Gaborone High Court that he employed all necessary skills and tactics when investigating the murder of Vincent Mopipi.

Answering a question from one of defence lawyers representing Moabi Mabiletsa, detective inspector Mmilili Mashabile of Gaborone West Police Station said he is quite sure that he did not compromise his investigations more so that he was able to nail proper suspects.

He further told the court that he applied for the release of two former suspects in the murder because his investigations did not connect them to the crime. He said there is no how he could have kept both Onthusitse Kgosiethata and Tshwanelo Tshimologo in the case though it was clear that they did not have any role in the matter.

Inspector Mashabile who underwent a grueling close to seven hour cross examination from determined defence lawyers, said even the clothes which were collected from these two suspects did not pass DNA test because initially what was thought to be some blood stains turned out to be something else and as such they could not be further examined.

Asked by Matshidiso Boikanyo’s lawyer Ms Dikeledi Martin why he arrested the two suspects, Mashabile said he arrested them because Moabi had told him that he saw them earlier at a bar talking to a certain cab driver whose sedan colours matched that of the deceased. 

Mashabile further said he is aware that the accused and the freed suspects alleged that they were tortured by the police. 

Meanwhile he said when he interviewed Boikanyo about the murder after arresting him he initially agreed to have committed the offence in partnership with his South African friend known only by the name Nimrod. He said his efforts to find Nimrod’s full names from Gaborone State Prison were fruitless as records showed no such a person was ever detained there. 

On the other hand he said the cellphone which was used to call Deluxe Cab was that of Boikanyo though when he was arrested he was using another sim card. He said he did not buy the story that Boikanyo had lent unknown Zimbabwean man his cellphone to use overnight. 

He wondered how someone could give a stranger whom he does not even know his place of abode nor his full names a cellphone. He therefore said efforts to locate this strange Zimbabwean man could not yield results.

Mabiletsa and Boikanyo are charged for the murder of Mr Mopipi on September 13, 2013 in Block 9 location in Gaborone. The presiding officer Chief Justice Mr Maruping Dibotelo will however pronounce whether they have a case to answer on July 27 after the state closed its case last Friday. ENDS