Four accused of kidnapping, demanding P900,000 ransom
Sharon Mathala | Tuesday November 22, 2022 15:07
On the kidnapping charge, the court heard that the men had demanded a ransom of P900,000 from the victim's family for the safe return of their loved one.
The quartet, Tebogo Moabi, 33, Karabo Potsoeng, 28, Otsile Mosala, 32, and Tlotlo William, 26, appeared before Magistrate Onkarabile Mokone.
According to their charge sheet, the four men face three counts, namely robbery, kidnapping, and theft of motor vehicles.
On the first count, the men are said to have on or around November 13 at BTF Furnitures, Broadhurst Industrial acting jointly and in concert robbed a Chinese national (name withheld) of P1,200 cash and an iPhone valued at P19,000. They are said to have also robbed two other victims of cell phones worth P2,400 and P1,200, respectively.
On the second count, their charge sheet reads, “On or about 13 November 2022 at BTF Furnitures, Broadhurst Industrial acting jointly and in concert unlawfully and without the consent of the victim, took her from BTF Furnitures, Broadhurst Industrial Gaborone to Kanye where they secretly and wrongfully confined her for four days.”
On the last count, the four men are said to have stolen a motor vehicle, a Toyota RunX, valued at P47,000.
Giving testimony in court this morning, the investigating officer (IO) in the matter, Sub-Inspector Modiegi Rakgabeng told the court that he wished for the men to be further remanded in prison because the police were yet to complete interviewing suspects.
The IO further pleaded with the court that the men had committed a serious crime of kidnapping and that their victim was still traumatised and needed more counselling for the traumatic ordeal.
The police further told the court that they were yet to recover the gadget that the accused used during the committal of the offence.
The IO further told the court that the police have also been informed that the quartet had demanded a ransom for the release of their Chinese victim to the tune of P900,000.
The court is set to deliver a ruling on their bail application this afternoon.