20 Mar 2017

A Gaborone based forensic pathologist, Dr Enock Prabhakar has informed the Gaborone High Court that a former security officer with Security Systems died of head injuries and burns he sustained when he was attacked while at his post at Tuwana Construction site in Gaborone North Farms.

Giving evidence at the ongoing murder trial recently, Dr Prabhakar said at least 10 per cent of Mr Olebogile Ramapulane’s body was burnt and that this insignificantly contributed to his death through shock. Other visible injuries which the deceased sustained included burns on the head, left cheek and ear, which affected the outer layer of the skin.

Dr Prabhakar, who performed the postmortem of Ramapulane, who died after being attacked by five men while guarding Tuwana Construction site premises on the night of August 28, 2013, told the court that he came to the conclusion that the deceased died due to head injuries.

Meanwhile another witness, Dr Lebogang Mokotedi from Princess Marina Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit said she attended to another victim of the robbery, Mr Liu Jian Hui, who had a deep wound on his forehead on August 28, 2013 at around 9pm.

She said Mr Hui, who was looking distressed and was also bleeding from the head, could have been hit with a blunt object. Dr Mokotedi further told the court that Mr Hui’s clothes were also soaked with blood.

Under cross examination from one of the defence lawyers, Ms Wema Isa,  Dr Mokotedi explained that the medical report which she produced showed a different date since it was written in retrospect because at the time, the form which was used for recording was not available.  

Former forensic scientist with the Botswana Police Service Mr Boitshepo Bojosi, who is now an assurance manager with Diamond Trading Company, told the court that blood stained clothes which were collected from the accused failed to produce any DNA results which could link the accused with the victims. 

Standing trial are Lebang Ntesi, Phemelo Tshelang, Gorata Sebego, Patrick Gaile and Mpho Mangwa. All the accused are on bail except  accused number one, Ntesi, who 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 night watchman, Mr Ramapulane who was guarding at Tuwana Construction site camp.

In the cause of the robbery they stole items such as cellphones a Chinese identity card, a laptop, a laptop charger and a diary. All items were admitted before court as part of evidence.

They were initially also charged with the attempted murder of Mr Hui who was gravely injured and got admitted at Princess Marina’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 in 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, and the second charge is of murder.

The accused pleaded not guilty to both charges. 

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