22 Sep 2016

A senior security supervisor with Security Systems, Mr Tebogo Modise has told the Gaborone High Court that his supervisor, Mr Walter Leave, was the one who handcuffed the first suspect to be arrested in Oodi in relation to the Tuwana Construction robbery and murder incident.

Giving evidence under cross examination from the defence lawyer, Ms Wema Isa, who is representing Thabo Ntesi, he said when he and his colleagues arrested Gorata Sebego at his homestead before his parents, he showed signs of panic and fear and as such he concluded that he may flee.

Mr Modise said although Sebego was submissive and did not resist arrest, Mr Leave, nevertheless, handcuffed him in line with company procedures of effecting an arrest on a suspect. He denied that Sebego sustained injuries on his hands, saying he was handcuffed in a safe and orderly manner.

He added that if security guards ever meted violence on him, it could have been done in his absence. However, he said it was unlikely to have happened as he was never out of their sight.    

Mr Modise told the court that subsequent to the arrest of Sebego and other suspects, Sebego told the guards that he had a bag containing some items that he got from Tuwana Construction campsite and volunteered to hand it over to Mr Leave who opened it. He said he was able to identify a black Dell laptop, a cellular phone and a jacket. 

He told the court that while his colleague Mr Mmolotsi Magang told the court that the bag was only opened by the police, he explained that it could have been opened on two different occasions because he was never stationery as he kept on making and receiving calls and thus distracted his attention. 

He further told the court that security guards at the company were provided with batons which they use to protect themselves when attending to incidents.

Meanwhile, the marathon case which has been running for the past two weeks, went on recess last Thursday after the sixth state witness, Mr Modise was cross-examined. However, other defence attorneys are to cross-examine him when the case resumes on October 17.       

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

According to the particulars of the case, 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 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 Liu Jian Hui, still at the same farm on the same day. During the 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 Farayi Mahwite and Sharpe Dubula while the defence team is made of Ms Wema Isa, Mr Isiah Letlole, Mr Maswabi Maswabi, Mr Eddie Babuseng and Ms Bokani Machinya. The case is presided over by Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo. Ends