15 Jul 2020

Kasane senior magistrate, Ms Kose Makobo has denied a Francistown based couple accused of obtaining by false pretences bail.

Ms Makobo said she took into consideration the submission by the prosecution that investigations were still at a preliminary stage.

The duo is accused of obtaining P50 500 from eight people in Kasane between August 2018 and June 2020.

She also said she took into consideration that the accused were facing trustworthiness charges, and that they were wanted by other police stations for offences of a similar nature.

In his submission, Detective Constable Emmanuel Buka said the couple, Sethunya Matlala, 34, and Goitsemang Matshwane, 31, were only apprehended on July 13 and that statements from the complaints were not yet recorded.

Detective Constable Buka further said preliminary investigations revealed that the duo withdrew the money from various shops in Francistown and that the investigation team needed time to confront the owners of the shops.

He said a cellular phone which was used in committing the offences had also not been seized.

Detective Buka pleaded with the court to deny the accused bail, saying it would accord them an opportunity to compromise investigations. He also said the accused were wanted by various police stations around the country such as Maun, Ghanzi and Letlhakane for offences of a similar nature, adding that they were unreliable.

The first accused, Matlala pleaded with the court to give her bail, saying she has a baby and has to undergo an operation in Gaborone.

Matshwane also pleaded for bail, saying he has been cooperating with the police and that he was not party to the committal of the offence. He further said he has provided details of his guardians and that it was easy for the police to trace him. 

Detective Constable Buka said the matter involved other institutions and that they would need time to confront them.

He said giving him bail would compromise investigations as he resided in the same house where the cellular phone was said to be, adding that the police had not yet searched the house.

ENDS