Now police admit they shot Kalafatis

Victor Muyakwabo | Thursday January 16, 2014 17:20

In the latest development they admit to shooting him but elsewhere at a robbery scene in Phase II, which cancels out the Partial scene. Police also fail to explain why they did not follow a vehicle they had shot at, (at Phase II) a normal practice with law enforcement agencies out to apprehend a criminal. This week Botswana Police Service spokesperson Senior Superintendent Dipheko Motube was interrupted midway through an interview with Mmegi by his boss Christopher Mbulawa to be briefed on the 'latest developments'.

Before the interruption Motube had denied knowledge of the shooting other than what he learnt from Kalafatis's family and the media.

He said police visited him at the hospital after the family reported the matter and decided to give Kalafatis time to heal before he could be questioned. He added that at no point did the police provide Kalafatis with security while in hospital. But after Mbulawa's briefing he changed tack and said: 'Police shot and injured a man suspected to be Costa in December who was suspected to have been involved in an armed robbery in Phase II.'

Motube said police shot at Costa's vehicle in an attempt to stop him from fleeing the robbery scene in Phase II.

However, Phase II and the Partial parking lot, where Kalafatis was shot, are some distance apart. Newspaper accounts of eyewitnesses testify to the parking lot incident. Motube also admitted that they were aware that Kalafatis's lawyer had written a letter to the Commissioner of Police and the Attorney General's Chambers in connection with the shooting.

The interruption of Mbulawa led to Motube confirming that new developments to the case are that Kalafatis was wanted to help the police with investigations regarding the Phase 11 robbery and the subsequent shooting incident.

Meanwhile, Dick Bayford who is representing Kalafatis dismissed claims by the police saying that their version is based on dishonesty, as they want to cover their tracks. 'The police cannot say that they are looking for Costa because they never told him that he was going to be charged with any offence even on the day that he was released from hospital,' said Bayford.

He revealed to Mmegi that on the morning that Kalafatis was shot the police told his family that they did not know who did it and were afraid that the person might come and finish him off while in hospital.

Bayford added that on the day Kalafatis was discharged from hospital his brother informed him (Bayford) that there were officers waiting to take him away. 'Upon arrival at the hospital I found more than 15 armed police officers waiting to take him away. I asked them if they were taking him in as a suspect or a witness and the response was that they were ordered to take him to Central Police Station,' Bayford said.

He added that during their conversation, senior police officers joined them and told Kalafatis brother that they would no longer be providing his sibling with security. Bayford told Mmegi that he has given the Attorney General's Chambers seven days to respond to his letter failure to which they will approach the court to intervene.