Police lift serial Honda Fit 'armed robbers’
Lebogang Mosikare | Tuesday July 19, 2022 06:00
The duo, Kabelo Modise, 19, of Boseja in Mochudi and Tefo Buka, 25, of Mabunda ward in Marapong, is alleged to have violently robbed Laone Nthobatsang of a Samsung cellphone worth P1,500 and P2,580 cash on July 13 at Mathangwane.
On the second count, the state alleges that acting in concert and with a common purpose, Modise and Buka robbed Chawangwa Motso of a phone valued at P1,500 and P5,000 cash using force along the A3 road near Mathangwane.
When the accused appeared before Magistrate Game Mooketsi on Friday for arraignment, prosecutor Baedzi Matshambane asked the court to reserve a plea on both charges because investigations into the matters had just commenced.
Matshambane then called the investigating officer (IO) Thabologo Keorapetse to give reasons why the accused should be remanded in custody. Keorapetse told the court that he came to know the accused after they were arrested in Serowe. “I object to the accused being granted bail because investigations in the matters are still at their initial stages.
The accused were arrested in Serowe around midnight (July 14) and we have not recovered some of the properties that were allegedly stolen and weapons that were used to commit the offences. We suspect those weapons are a knife and something that resembles a pistol. We have also not yet recorded statements from some of the complainants and we fear that if the accused are granted bail, they may tamper with our investigations,” said Keorapetse.
Further, Keorapetse stated that the accused are not good candidates for bail because they have shown that they have a propensity to commit one crime after the other. “After they allegedly committed crimes in Mathangwane, the accused went to Gerald Estates and allegedly committed a similar crime yesterday (July 14). The case is yet to be registered.
The accused then went to Serowe and committed a similar offence, which is also yet to be registered. The accused have shown that they are a flight risk because they were arrested on the way to Gaborone.
We, therefore, fear that they may abscond from attending court if they are granted bail,” Keorapetse said. He added that although the accused have a constitutional right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, the same Constitution says that that right is not absolute. Magistrate Mooketsi remanded the accused in custody based on the reasons that were advanced by Keorapetse. The accused are due in court on August 2 for a status update.