State dragging feet –Court
Larona Makhaiza | Monday February 20, 2023 06:00
Magistrate Phetogo indicated that the case should have now been at trial and not at the Magistrate's Court, only if the State was not dragging its feet. “When it comes to this case, the State is dragging its feet as now the accused persons have been in prison for seven months now and the trial date has not even been set yet for this case,” Phetogo stated.
The case has been dragging for over half a year now as Barulaganye Aston who was a teacher at Kopong was brutally murdered on July 14 ,2022. And the arrests followed suit, as it did not take long for the police to apprehend the four accused persons in the case.
Phetogo has thus far advised the State to stop dragging its feet and wrap up the case so that the trial date can be set and that the accused persons can finally have their trial on the single count of murder they are accused of.
Kosie and Outlwile together with the counterparts Oageng Letsholo, and Kebaleboge Ntsebe are accused of brutally killing Barulaganye and have since then been remanded in custody since they were first arrested, and only Ntsebe was released on bail while the other three accused were remanded in prison. On Monday, Kosie and Outlwile were finally given bail they had been seeking for months without success. Kosie and Outlwile were given bail on condition that they do not pose any flight risk.
One important aspect that led to them being given bail was the change in circumstances as the statement of the six-year-old child has been recorded because at first they were denied bail on account that the statement had not been recorded. Now that Kosie, Outlwile and Ntsebe are all given bail, it means only Letsholo who is the first accused person in the case remains as the only accused person remanded in prison. Letsholo is the only accused remanded in prison as he cannot afford to pay his own lawyer.
He stated his pleas before the magistrate court during the last mention when the ruling of the bail verdict was postponed. It is said that Letsholo sold his car to get money for a lawyer but now he is not allowed to do banking by the officer in charge at prison.
But on Monday Letsholo raised his pleas once more as he was dismissed during the last mention on account that the presiding magistrate Jobbie Moilatshimo was out on sick leave. “Magistrate, last time when we were here you said you cannot help me (with a court order) because you are holding fort for Magistrate Moilatshimo, and I want to know if I should still wait for the substantive presiding magistrate as you last said, as I see now that you just read out a ruling?” Letsholo asked.
Phetogo responded by saying that Letsholo can have his pleas attended to at the next mention. The accused persons are expected to appear for their next mention on February 27, 2023.