15 Nov 2017

Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo has reacted with concern that the fifth murder accused in the Gaborone North Farms murder case, Mpho Mangwa has not yet been apprehended as ordered by the court.

Justice Dibotelo said this on Friday when the defence case was about to start but was once again stalled by the absence of Mangwa, whose bail was cancelled on October 19, 2017 when he first failed to appear for continuation of a trial, though he had promised his lawyer the previous day that he would pitch-up.

He said the police could not be out-classed by a simple person of Mangwa’s calibre particularly that he was spotted around his home village of Oodi in the Kgatleng District.

He implored them to intensify their search so that the case could be brought to finality.

Justice Dibotelo ordered that the investigating officer, who had since been transferred to Francistown be returned to Gaborone immediately to finalise the matter.

The order was made after the state prosecutor from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr Farayi Mahwite had complained that delegating other police officers was not yielding any positive results for the case.

Another warrant of arrest for Mangwa had been issued by Broadhurst Magistrate Court for the offence of robbery.

Currently, a strong battalion of police officers is out to arrest him possibly before November 15, this year when he will be expected to appear before the High Court for continuation of trial.

Standing trial are; Lebang Thabo Ntesi, Phemelo Tshelang, Gorata Humble Sebego, Patrick Gaile and Mangwa.

All the accused are on bail except Ntesi, who is in custody for a different offence.

Particulars of the offence are that five men, who are all residents of Oodi, on the night of August 28, 2013 at Gaborone North Farms acting together with a common purpose murdered night watchman, Mr Olebogile Ramapulane, who was guarding at Tuwana Construction Site camp.

During the robbery, they stole cellphones, 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.

They were initially charged for attempted murder on Mr Liu Jian Hui. During the incident, Hui was gravely injured and got admitted at Princess Marina Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.

He has however left the country thus the charge had fallen.

The accused are now facing only two counts.

On the first count, the five men are charged for armed robbery the amount 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 consists of Messrs Mahwite and Sharpe Dubula while defence team is made up of Ms Wema Isa, Mr Isiah Letlole, Mr Maswabi Mwando Maswabi, Mr Eddie Babuseng and Ms Bokani Machinya. BOPA