Cover claim on slain teen 'for cab startup'
Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday June 27, 2023 06:00
He allegedly killed the teen as soon as the waiting period lapsed. To close the prosecution’s case, Investigating Officer (IO) in the matter Detective Sergeant Moses Motshegare took the stand and elucidated to the court why Tsametse had a case to answer.
He told the court that he went to the crime scene as soon as the matter was reported where they found Arnold’s lifeless body with a cut on the throat. He said Arnold was wearing a striped t-shirt, checked shorts and black shoes. He said since it was at night when his body was found, they returned the following morning to the crime scene where they noticed two sets of shoe prints, with the other matching the deceased’s.
Motshegare said they had no clue who could have killed Arnold until Botswana Life tipped them off. “On March 8, 2018, I met one Rutang from Botswana Life who informed me of a suspicious claim by one Thato Tsametse. The claim came just eight months after the two identical Mmoloki Funeral cover policies were effected.
I would then follow the accused person and questioned him on why he insured his cousins who were under the care of social workers as orphans,” he said. Motshegare said at Tsametse’s house, he found different policy documents where he had insured his mother and siblings with Absa Botswana Life for lesser amounts.
He said he would then release Tsametse and continued investigating the murder. The IO said he would later on March 20, the same year, receive a call from one traditional healer known as Rabeisane who told him they had a client who said he needed assistance because he had killed someone in Mogoditshane.
He said he went there with his colleagues and arrived while Tsametse was being assisted. “We arrested him and went to interview him. During the interview, he told me he had killed the deceased but could not submit a confession statement. When I quizzed why he killed him, he said he wanted money to start a cab business,” he said. Motshegare said he would then ask Tsametse to take him to the crime scene and also show him the weapon he used. He said Tsametse obliged but they could not find the weapon. On what he wore, Motshegare said Tsametse said he wore short pants and black sneakers. “He took me to a nearby bush where he gave me the black sneakers. We then went to his house where he produced the pants and the items were sealed and taken to the forensics lab,” he said.
Upon cross-examination, Tsametse’s attorney Nkosana Ngwenya quizzed if there was any DNA found on the items seized from Tsametse. He said there was none. He, however, said they had confirmed that the other shoe tracks belonged to Tsametse’s black sneakers. There was nothing to confirm that as Motshegare said they had no casting powder to preserve the shoe prints. He dismissed assertions by Ngwenya that Tsametse confessed because he was tortured. I was tortured—Tsametse Despite all that was said by witnesses pointing to him as his cousin’s killer, Thato Tsametse told the court that he never did it. He said he left Arnold at his mother’s place at around 8pm only to be told that his younger cousin was killed the following day while he was at work. He said since he had insured Arnold, he went to file a claim with Botswana Life and was told it would be paid in 48 hours.
He said since it was taking long, he used money from his cash loan business to finance the funeral and would refund his business days later after Botswana Life eventually paid out his claim. He said while he waited for the payment, Motshegare interrogated him about his policies before going to search his house where he found policy documents on his mother and siblings. He said Motshegare warned him that he would tell him the truth about what happened after incarcerating him for 48 hours. Tsametse said after that, since he was also concerned about what happened to Arnold, he went to consult Rabeisane to tell him he was suspected of killing a person and wanted to know why. “We went inside the house and he told me I had bad luck. He then said he did not have enough muti and said I should come back after some days. I returned after a week with P1,500 and requested his services. I told him I wanted to know who killed Arnold. The police arrived while he was still assisting me, pointed a gun at me and I was arrested,” he said.
Tsametse said upon arrival at the police station, officers led by Motshegare handcuffed him and also cuffed his legs before torturing him using electric shock from a prodder. He said they had even stepped on his neck until he pleaded with them that he suffered from low blood and they left him with Motshegare. He said while he continued to deny murdering his cousin, Motshegare forced him to confess. On the shoes which were exhibited in court, Tsametse said he had told Motshegare that he had thrown them away because they were torn.
Justice Modiri Letsidi of Lobatse High Court will deliver judgment on the matter on October 12. Meanwhile, Tsametse who has been on bail, was whisked away to maximum prison to await the verdict.