22 Jan 2019

The number of suspected robbers in the over P300 000 cash robbery case at the Molepolole government revenue office has increased from four to seven.

An amount of over P300 000 cash was last year January 4 stolen from the Molepolole revenue office leading to the arrest of four male suspects following a police tip-off.

The suspects appeared before Molepolole senior magistrate Ms Lindiwe Makgoro.

Those initially arrested are Letsibogo Ntshoto 26, Phomolo Nkwe 21, Gofaone Ramashi 24 and Tsogo Semadi aged 27, who are all males from Mochudi and Gabane villages.

The development of the case led to the arrest of two more male suspects being Malebogo Kesentseng 38 of Maunatlala, Kelekgonne Gabanapelo 26 of White City in Gaborone and Keneilwe Gopolang, a female aged 25 of Gabane, who was a batch recorder at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.

The seven suspects are each faced with two counts of robbery contrary to section 291 as read with section 292 of the Penal Code and the second count of stealing from a person contrary to section 275 as read with section 271 of the same.

The alleged offences are that the seven accused person on or about January 4 in Molepolole, acting jointly with a common purpose, robbed Molepolole revenue office belonging to Botswana Government cash amounting to P383 325.55 using actual violence.

The second offence was whereby they allegedly stole a Nokia 2010 and a Mobicel cellphone valued at P200 00 and P500 00 being the property of Ms Onneile Ofetotse.

The alleged offences took place after the seven accused tied security officers with the Department of Roads and Transport Service and those from revenue offices before gaining access into the building.

The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent Uyapo Koketso had pleaded for extension of the remand warrant for accused two and three while other five had since been granted bail.

They were to appear again for mention on January 31. ENDS