26 Oct 2016

Magistrate Basetsana Keakantse of Jwaneng has remanded robbery accused, Botho Gabaatlholwe, in custody pending investigations on the matter.

The prosecution, led by Inspector Kumbani Machaya, made an application that the accused be denied bail for 14 days to allow the investigating team to locate other three suspects, who were still at large.

However, Gabaatlholwe pushed his application to have his freedom back by advancing reasons that, if incarcerated, his bakery project would suffer.

He said his mother would also suffer as she would solely take care of his children and siblings.

Gabaatlholwe also said his project would suffer as there would be no one to help his mother.

He pleaded that he be granted bail, promising to report to the police anytime when instructed to do so.

Magistrate Keakantse was, however, not convinced that Gabaatlholwe would not interfere with investigations if granted bail.

She said the state had advanced reasons that the accused might communicate with other suspects, who were still at large, thus tempering with investigations.

“The prosecution has also mentioned that they link the accused to the offence through a foot print that led to his house and the court finds it a reasonable suspicion that needs time to be proven,” she noted.

She further noted that the prosecution said the investigations were still at an infant stage and they were yet to recover some of the money and cell phones suspected to be stolen.

She said in the interest of justice, the court found it fit to remand the accused in custody for 14 days to pave way for investigations.

According to the charge sheet, the 28-year-old Gabaatlholwe of Molale ward in Mabutsane and three other accused persons, who were not before court, allegedly acted together and robbed one John Nolte cash amounting to P60 000, a blackberry curve cellphone valued at P2 000 and a Samsung Galaxy cellphone worth P1 800 and hit him with a hard object.

He will appear again for mention on November 4. ENDS