13 Sep 2016

A security supervisor with Security Systems have pointed to four men who he said had a hand in the murder and robbery at Tawana Construction camp site in Gaborone North Farms in the night of August 28, 2013.

Giving evidence in chief on Monday (September 12) at the ongoing trial, which is presided over by Chief justice Maruping Dibotelo, Mr Mmolotsi Magang who was straight to the point in testimony, told the court that upon dispatching to Tuwana camp site after receiving a panic button report, they assessed the situation there and then proceeded to track the culprits and landed in Oodi.

He said upon their arrival in Oodi they followed some shoe prints which ushered them to a certain homestead where upon enquiry from the owner of the yard only identified as Mr School he said may be the shoe prints could be that of some visitors.

While there Mr School’s cousin came out of the house and informed the team of security guards that he gave a lift to a number of men at night at Mmamashia and whilst still talking Mr School’s younger brother emerged from the house and told them that those shoe prints belonged to his friends and offered to take them to where they reside.

Mr Magang said at both the first and second homesteads which they entered they did not find the accused until at the third yard where parents of the third accused, Gorata Humble Sebego, responded to the knock and came out of the house where introductions were made. Gorata was therefore called and he acknowledged that he was at Tawana Construction site on the same day and that he was with four other friends.

He thus led the team to his friends where upon their arrival at a certain yard they found three young men whom the third escaped while two who he identified to the court as Lebang Thabo Ntesi and Phemelo Tshelang were arrested. The team was then led to another homestead where the fourth accused Patrick Gaile was arrested while trying to flee.   

Mr Magang however said all the accused admitted being at the camp site on the day of the incident and that in all the occasions their shoes which they were required to produce matched shoe prints which were seen at the camp site.  

Meanwhile he told the court that while waiting for the police to arrive after they were telephoned, Gorata told the security guards that he had some items at home which he obtained from Tuwana Construction premises. 

These items were contained in a black sling bag and came to see them when the police officer opened it.

They included a Nokia cellphone, Samsung cellphone, a nameless cellphone, a Chinese passport which later came out to be a Chinese identity card, a laptop, a laptop charger and a diary. All items were admitted before court as part of evidence.

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 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 Olebogeng Ramapulane, who was guarding at Tuwana Constriction site camp.

They were initially charged for attempted murder on Liu Jian 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 accused are therefore now facing only two counts and on the first count the five are charged for armed robbery as the sum of P20 000, a computer lap top, a navy blue blazer and a cellphone were stolen during the commission of the crime. 

 They pleaded not guilty to the charge.  Likewise they pleaded not guilty to the murder charge in their second count.  

The prosecution team from the DPP is made of Messrs Farayi Mahwite and Sharpe Dubula while defence team is made of Ms Wema Isa, Mr Isiah Letlole, Mr Maswabi Maswabi Mr Eddie Babuseng and Ms Bokani Machinya. The case continues. ENDS