08 Sep 2016

A detective constable with Botswana Police Service has informed Gaborone High Court that there was no time to waste in calling an ambulance to take victims of Gaborone North Farms murder and robbery attack to hospital.

Giving evidence in chief at the ongoing trial involving five accused from Oodi in the Kgatleng District, Cst Johnson Phosenti said upon entering the Tuwana Construction camp site at the farm, they took the badly injured Security Systems guard, Mr Olebogile Ramapulane and painter, Mr Oageng Kgano onto the back of a Toyota Hilux van straight to Princess Marina Hospital for medical attention. 

He further told the court that Mr Liu Jian Hui, who resided in a house inside the camp was badly beaten and he was taken by a certain Mr Zhu to hospital.

Mr Phosenti, who was led by Mr Farayi Mawhite, told Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo that he was able to speak to Mr Kago while Ramapulane was not able to talk nor open his eyes because of the serious injuries he sustained during the gruesome robbery incident of September 13, 2013 which lead to him dying later.  

Under cross examination from defence lawyer, Ms Wema Isa, Mr Phosenti said he could not call an ambulance as it was going to take a long time to arrive at the crime scene. He, however, noted that though he was not trained in first aid, he saw it fit to take the initiative to transport the victims on the back of the open van to save their lives. 

He, howeve, discarded insinuation by the defence that the uncomfortable van could have exacerbated the condition and pains of Ramapulane as he later died.

Mr Phosenti, who was a special constable by then, said though he had gone undergone any formal police training, his judgement in executing his duty was above par, noting that when the victims were transported to the hospital he was with then at the back.

Meanwhile Sergeant Kaunda Sekuku of SSKA Police Station told the court under cross examination that there was no option of using any other road except the 4km Tuwana bumpy road to transport the victims to the hospital.

He said before leaving for the hospital, he secured the area by closing the gate with a piece of wire which he found by the gate of the camp site. 

Sgt Sekuku noted that by closing and securing the gate with a wire he was implying that nobody should enter. 

He however said he could not state for certain that nobody entered the camp and then closed it the way it was while he was at the hospital.

Nevertheless, Sgt Sekuku said if Security Systems guards ever entered the camp site while he was away, he could not term that as intrusion into crime scene because one of their own was stationed there.  He also said he took every care that everything was done accordingly.    

Asked by attorney Ms Bokani Machinya, he said he went back to Tuwana Construction camp site to check whether there was any police back-up.

  Standing trial are; Lebang Thabo Ntesi, Phemelo Tshelang, Gorata Humble Sebego, Gaile and Mpho Mangwa. All the accused are on bail but accused number one, Ntesi, is in custody for a different offense.

According to the particulars of the offence, the five men who are all residents of Oodi in Kgatleng District, on the night of August 28, 2013 at Gaborone North Farms acting together with a common purpose murdered one night watchman, Mr Ramapulane, who was guarding the property at the residence. In the course of their action they also robbed their victim some property and police managed to recover some items which include a lap top and P15 280 cash.

They were initially charged for attempted murder on Hui, still at the same farm on the same day.  During attempt on his life, Hui was gravely injured and got admitted at Princess Marina Hospital's Intensive Care Unit. He has however left the country thus the charge has fallen.

The prosecution team from the DPP is made of Messrs Mawhite and Sharpe Dubula while defence team is made of Ms Wena Isa, Mr Isiah Letlole, Mr Maswabi Mwando Maswabi, Mr Babuseng and Ms Bokani Machinya. ENDS