15 Oct 2018

Investigating officer in the triple murder of Molepolole’s Ntlolengwae family, Detective Superintendent Diane Lentigetse, says the recent development where communication was made in regard to the missing Phillabao by one of the suspects delayed completion of police investigations.

Supt. Lentigetse’s recent testimony was prompted by defence counsels Messrs Olehile Mantswe and Sesupo Masaka of Mantswe/Masaka Attorneys challenging the prolonged incarceration of the four suspects about delayed completion of investigations in the matter.

She briefed the court about the fact that they were currently following a lead on the missing Phillabao decoder allegedly stolen during the murder of the Ramantosha family on June 22.

The recent development, according to the investigating officer, emanates from a call made from one of the accused Poloko Segwagwa’s cellular number instructing the person suspected to be keeping the missing Phillabao decoder and the wallet containing one of the deceased Patrick Ramantosha’s National Identity card and the bank cards to remove it from where it was initially kept.

“We are hoping to make a breakthrough on the missing item because the suspected person is known by Mogoditshane police, who are currently assisting in this regard,” stated Supt. Lentigetse.

 She said they only learnt about latest development on September 28 and were working towards acquiring information on where and how it was made when the owner was detained at Maximum Prison.

“We are currently waiting to acquire information from the service provider about the cellphone used to contact the alleged individual and to be able to locate him,” she said. 

The investigating officer however assured the court that they were nearing completion of their investigations that had since been affected by the recent development.

On how granting the accused bail may affect the issue of the missing Phillabao decoder, Supt. Lentigetse stated they feared that although the Phillabao decoder was not critical to their case, they strongly felt it was needed to strengthen their case because it was stolen during the commission of murder.

Asked by attorney Olehile Mantswe, representing 28-year-old Segwagwa on how the accused remanded at maximum prison with high features had contact with a cellphone, the police superintendent said she was not sure how it could have happened, but confirmed to have handed it over to him in the presence of prison wardens as she no longer needed it.

In an argument that lasted for about three hours, Attorney Mantswe dismissed the investigating officer’s testimony as nothing but manufacturing of misleading information.

He insisted that it was hard to believe that a cellular phone could have been handed over to an inmate at maximum prison where security was known to be intense, but Supt. Lentigetse maintained that she was bound to take it back to its rightful owner as she was done with it.

“I handed over the phone to Segwagwa in the presence of Prison Wardens and I do not know what happened to it until last Friday when we realised the number was communicating with the outside world about the Phillabao,” stated the investigating officer.

Attorney Masaka representing Tebogo Ramantosha, Mmoloki Thaelo and Cornelious Saidoo in the previous mention expressed worry over delayed police investigations as it appeared the police had been accorded indefinite period to investigate, while liberty of individuals was being compromised.

Meanwhile, Attorney Pascal Mhandu of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) insisted on the prolonged remand of the quartet to allow completion of the outstanding investigation.

Later in her ruling, Chief Magistrate Linah Mokibe-Oahile maintained her stance by denying the accused bail once again, insisting on the fact that there was need for the police to be accorded opportunity to pursue any link related to the case.

Tebogo Ramantosha was on October 5 granted conditional bail by Justice Tshepo Motswagole of Gaborone High Court.

Ramantosha stood accused of murdering his parents Patrick and Boingotlo Ramantosha aged 55 and 47 and his 22-year-old younger brother Keabetswe Ramantosha at Ntlolengwae ward in Molepolole on June 22, jointly with Thaelo (37), Saidoo (27) and Segwagwa (28) of Mogoditshane and Gaborone Block Seven respectively.

They are also faced with an additional charge of allegedly robbing Keabetswe Ramantosha of a 32-inch LG Television set valued at P3 000 and a Phillibao decoder valued at P300 using physical violence. ENDS