Mother acquitted of plot to kill daughter
Mpho Mokwape | Friday May 9, 2014 15:09
Motlalepula Monareng, 53, of Gabane shed tears of joy after Magistrate Taboka Slave acquitted her.
Monareng was alleged to have conspired with Benny Modisane to have her 32 year-old Dolly Monareng, boyfriend and child killed in December 2011. It was alleged that the hit man was to be paid P100, 000 for the deed. Had she been found guilty, Monareng would have been given a jail sentence of up to 14 years.
When passing judgment, magistrate Slave said there was no evidence linking the accused to the offence, and that the prosecution failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.
Slave said there were holes in the prosecution’s submissions from the start of the trial “I find it hard to believe that the accused and her accomplices did commit the offence like it is alleged as the prosecution has failed to produce concrete evidence throughout this trial,” said Slave.
She said from the start of the trial, prosecution witnesses gave different versions of what transpired.
Slave noted there were unanswered questions around the agreement on the money offered by the accused to her accomplices. Moreover, the prosecution failed to produce certain exhibits as evidence.
Slave said she was having a hard time trying to assess how much was offered to the accomplices that have now turned state witnesses. She noted that it was confusing as to whether the accomplices were given P40,000 as down payment or less.
“If indeed there was an agreement between the accused and the said hit man, the question that still remains and has not been answered is how much was agreed on and the prosecution has failed to give the right answers,” said Slave.
Slave also said during the early stages of the trial, the prosecution alleged that there was a note and a tape recording, taken during the accused and her accomplices meetings as they connived to kill the daughter.
“Those exhibits, the note and the tape have not been produced in court as part of evidence that can pin the accused to the offence leaving me with no choice but to acquit the accused,” said Slave, before setting the Gabane mother free.