29 Sep 2020

Kasane police are investigating a case in which a 33-year-old man allegedly obtained a total of P113 000 from two unsuspecting male nurses claiming that he will double the money for them.

In an interview Superintendent James Maabong said the man, who would in the near future be arraigned before the magistrate court for obtaining by false pretence charges, was arrested in one of the lodges before he could swindle another victim P120 000.

He said the man, who used a pseudonym Michael Tlhomola, originated from Masunga but resided in Selibe Phikwe and Francistown.

He said the suspect was found with razor blades, potassium permanganate, vitamin C tablets and other chemicals that were suspected to be used in ‘making money’.
Supt Maabong said prior to swindling the two nurses, who were friends, he took P100 from one of them and gave him P200 claiming that he had doubled it.

He said afterwards they each withdrew P50 000 from their bank accounts, gave it to the suspect who took the money to Francistown and later communicated that a further P13 000 was needed to purchase one of the chemicals that he needed to double the money.

Supt Maabong said at a later date the two victims were given a package and told to open after a week but upon opening the package the found bundles of papers that were a size of P200 notes.

He appealed to the public to be vigilant to avoid falling prey to such fraudsters. He said money could only be increased through investment and that Bank of Botswana was the only institution authorised to make money.

Supt Maabong noted that the case was the first of its kind in his area of jurisdiction as common cases were that of dubious people who claimed to have taxi permits for rental and swindle people their money.
 

He noted that investigations on the matter were on-going, adding that an obtaining by false pretence charge carried a fine of imprisonment not exceeding 7 years.

In another matter, Supt Maabong said they were investigating a suicide of a 30 year old woman, who was found hanging on the rafters of her room at Kgaphamadi ward, in Kasane on Saturday.

He said it was suspected that the woman hanged herself on Thursday and was found by family members when they tried to recharge electricity as the meter box was in the same room.

Supt Maabong said the nearly decomposed body was awaiting postmortem at Kasane Primary Hospital and no suicidal note was found. He said the family indicated that they were not aware of what could have led to her commit suicide.

Supt Maabong appealed to the community to always seek counselling as suicide was not a solution to any problem. Ends