11 Sep 2016

A former driver with Security Systems says neither him nor his co-workers did not contaminate the crime scene at the Gaborone North Farms where a former colleague was murdered while others received a thorough beating during a robbery incident on August 28, 2013.

Testifying at the ongoing trial before Gaborone High Court, the 56-year-old Mr Molefhi Motsamai, who is now a driver with Baobab Risk, another security company, said he was at his base at Phakalane when a panic button from Tuwana Construction Company base camp in Gaborone North farms set off and thus went to check on what was going on.

Mr Motsamai said he left for the scene with co-worker Mr Letsholo where they were met by a certain Chinese man who opened the gate for them to go inside.

He said upon entry into the site, the man told them that they had been attacked and proceeded to show them the tracks of the assailants whom the court later learnt that they came from the back of the site.

After seeing the tracks of the assailants, they then went outside and saw their tracks leaving before summoning their supervisors who came with a strong team of about 10 guards.  He, however, noted that while inside they made a beeline formation, so as not to contaminate the crime scene.          

Mr Motsamai noted that the search began in earnest and ultimately landed them in Oodi where the two accused, whose faces he could not remember were fished from their house and subsequently took the determined guards to the homes of their co-accused, who numbered three.

Though he initially said he was able to identify four pairs of different shoe prints, he changed to five under cross examination, noting that it was an omission on his part. 

Answering a question from defence attorney Mr Maswabi Mwando Maswabi he said he was not changing because he had an opportunity to chart their way with other witnesses during a short break.

Asked by another attorney Mr Edwin Babuseng, he said he never had time to ask for names of the China man whom they met and opened gate for them because their interest was finding the trail of the culprits who broke into the camp site.

Meanwhile Mr Motsamai who often did not take it kindly when his testimony was challenged  vehemently told the court that he was there while defence lawyers were never near the crime scene, noting that he had come to tell the court the truth as it unfolded during the unfortunate night.

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

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 Olebogile Ramapulane, who was guarding the property at the camp.

In the course of their action they also robbed their victims some property and police managed to recover some items which include a lap top and P15 280 in cash. ENDS