03 Sep 2019

Four men accused of murder of a mini-bus passenger in Mogoditshane will remain in custody to give police time to investigate.

This was after the prosecutor, Sub-Inspector Keaipela Seekolo made an application before Chief Magistrate Linah Mokibe-Oahile of Broadhurst Magistrate Court saying they had not cross-examined a witness who was said to be in Zimbabwe.

She further told the court that the substantive investigating officer was attending training at Botswana Police College, which started on August 26 and was expected to end on September 6.

Sub-Inspector Seekolo added that results from the forensics department were not ready.

However, the second accused person, Joseph Boheto, said he was worried by the state’s failure to submit evidence.

He pointed out that in the last mention, the investigating officer said he would give feedback knowing very well that he would be at the police college for training.

He said keeping them in court was just a fishing expedition since nothing pinned them to the crimes they were alleged to have committed.

He added that the prosecution never honoured the promises they made before the court to speed up investigations.

Third accused, Raven Mogapaesi, expressed dissatisfaction with the prosecution’s pace of gathering the evidence and bringing the real culprits before the court.

Fourth accused person, Goldman Nkunga, asked the magistrate to give a serious warning to the journalists to stop writing about them on papers since they did not commit the crimes they were said to have committed.

Chief Magistrate Mokibe-Oahile, however, told the accused persons that court was an open forum and journalists were allowed to be a part of it.

She ordered the prosecutor to do follow-ups on the forensics and update the court on the next mention.

The quartet Lethata Lesole, Boheto, Mogapaesi and Nkunga allegedly stabbed to death one Wilson Chiundo and robbed other passengers of their valuables in Mogoditshane on July 11. Ends