06 Aug 2019

Four accused persons in the recent murder of a combi passenger in Mogoditshane, will remain in custody following the prosecution’s successful application to have them remanded further.

The quartet, Lethata Lesole, Joseph Boheto, Raven Mogapaesi and Goldman Tiroyamodimo appeared for mention at Broadhurst Magistrate’s Court on August 5.

Chief Magistrate Linah Mokibe-Oahile acceded to the prosecution’s request for the accused persons’s further detention as investigations were still at the initial stage.

In her ruling, Ms Mokibe-Oahile said the state had proved that there was reasonable suspicion that the four were  suspects in the matter.

She said considering the other offences pending before court involving the accused persons, coupled with their display of violence, it would not be in the best interests of the public to grant them bail.

However, she said the accused could appeal the ruling if they were not satisfied.

The case’s Investigating Officer (IO) Detective Inspector Dikeletsane Ralefala told the court that they had not yet rounded all the witnesses as investigations were still at the initial stage.

She said the accused persons had several cases before the courts for a number of offences including murder, armed robbery and burglary and they were also violent.

She said Boheto had two counts of murder registered by Gaborone West Police Station and Mogoditshane Police Station, pending before Village Magistrate Court and the High Court respectively.

Detective Inspector Ralefala said Mogapaesi has pending robbery and murder cases dating back to 2014, which had been committed to the High Court, while Nkunga had two counts of burglary and one of robbery.

Further, she told the court that the prosecution was still awaiting DNA results from the forensics laboratory pertaining to the knife found in Mogapaesi’s possession , another knife and a screw driver found in Boheto’s possession.

Detective Inspector Ralefala told the court that there was another witness currently in Zimbabwe, who was expected back in the country on August 25.

She further said they had applied to Mascom concerning the phone recovered in the combi suspected to belong to Joseph.

According to the information before court, the accused are allegedly to have, on July 11 in Mogoditshane, stabbed to death one Wilson Chiundo and robbed other passengers of their valuables at knife point.

They are alleged to have robbed some passengers of cash and other valuables such as a jacket and cellphones.

Pleading with the court to grant him bail, Lethata said if granted bail, he would avail himself whenever he was needed.

Boheto on the one hand said he was a mere suspect and that the state has no serious hold over him as he had not committed the offence.

Further, he said he was severely beaten for a crime that he knew nothing about, and that as a result his health had been affected.

Mogapaesi told the court that he had expected the prosecution to bring DNA results from the forensics department and they did not.

Like Boheto, he said he had not committed the offence and therefore remanding him in jail would not help the case.

Nkunga accused the investigation officers for having unduly focused their attention on them simply because they had pending cases, in the process failed to catch the right culprits.

Further, he said he could not get medical attention for his medical condition while in detention as his medical cards were at home.

The next mention has been set for August 19. ENDS