Magistrate jails Lobatse police station commander
Sharon Mathala | Monday June 9, 2014 09:02
Ramabokwa confirmed the confinement, telling The Monitor on Saturday “I was arrested on Wednesday, officers came to my office at around lunch time with a warrant of arrest. I was taken to the magistrate where she ordered that I be remanded in custody”.
Police spokesperson, Senior Superintendent, Dipheko Motube also confirmed the arrest, saying the imprisonment happened after a misunderstanding with the magistrate.
Ramabokwa, who was locked up from Wednesday afternoon was released only Friday evening after his lawyers got an urgent application at the High Court in Gaborone, to rescue him from a 14-day prison jail term.
Ramabokwa who recently moved to Lobatse from Letlhakane was slapped with a two weeks jail sentence after clashing with the magistrate during a routine house keeping meeting that turned sour.
The station commander was ordered to appear before the magistrate after one of his officers went to court without proper uniform. It is said that when Ramabokwa met with Motlaleng to answer why his officer was not dressed properly, the two had a misunderstanding, and the station commander walked out in anger.
Motlaleng then issued an arrest warrant for ‘disobedience of lawful orders’.
On arrest, he was brought before Motlaleng who slapped him with a two nights in jail sentence while awaiting the case of defying the court on Friday.
Ramabokwa had to make an urgent application, and Gaborone High Court judge Godfrey Nthomiwa heard the case late Friday behind closed doors. The Monitor team, which had to sit outside, later learnt that Ramabokwa was granted temporary relief while awaiting the case to resume on June 26.