14 Aug 2021

Judge, Professor Bugalo Maripe, has ordered that murder accused, Gareitse Incha, be remanded in custody until completion of his trial.

Justice Maripe passed a ruling in favour of the state’s application to revoke Incha’s bail that was granted by the Francistown High Court on November 6, 2019.

The 39-year-old Incha is facing a single count of murder. He has been accused of killing Gladys Boroga at Xhwexhwa cattle post near Nxaraga junction in the North West District on October 7, 2016.

Justice Maripe said the state’s appeal was supported by two police officers who investigated the case and proved that the accused had failed bail applications more than once. The accused did not file any written submission, but was however allowed to respond orally.

Justice Maripe said the accused was arrested sometime in 2016 and arraigned before court on September 7, 2018 and had pleaded not guilty. He said the accused was initially granted bail by a magistrate in Maun before his case was committed to the High Court, but failed to obey bail conditions.

“It took long for the accused to be re-arrested and the case was withdrawn with a provision to be reinstated,” he said.

The accused was re-arrested sometime in September 2018 and the case was committed to the High Court in Francistown on September 25, 2019.

The accused, he said, had applied for bail that was granted on November 6, 2019 in Francistown and still failed to honour bail conditions and to attend trial on the given dates.

Also, he said the accused further failed to attend mentions, court hearing and to report at Maun police and entered Okavango Delta against court orders.

It was on July 23, 2021 that the state filed for the accused’s bail to be revoked.

In his response, the accused said he had sought permission from the investigating officer to go to his home village of Etsha 6 to seek Hambukushu traditional healing because he was sick.

Investigating officer, Assistant Superintendent Andrew Koitsiwe of Maun police criminal investigation department refuted accused’s claim. ENDS