Bad behaviour haunts accused soldier

Lebogang Mosikare | Thursday July 10, 2014 14:06

The soldier Oreeditse Pantsiri, a private based in Gaborone Glen Valley barracks and unemployed Ontlametse Mokoni pleaded guilty to stealing the generator on October 13, 2009 worth P6,500.

Five years after the commission of the offence, Pantsiri risks losing his job at the BDF for admitting to the theft of the generator.

According to the facts, Pantsiri and Mokoni jointly stole the generator from the Design and Technology laboratory at the school and took it to Tati Siding village where they resided.

A few days after the generator was stolen, investigations were conducted and the trail led to Pantsiri and Mokoni.

Pantsiri’s mother asked him where he got the generator from and he replied that he got it from Mokoni.

Mokoni told Pantsiri’s mother that the generator belonged to him and Pantsiri.

The duo were then cautioned about the offence by the investigating officer.

Principal Magistrate Dumisani Basupi asked if they had any legal justification for having stolen the generator, and the accused responded that youthful exuberance played its part when they committed the offence.

They also told the magistrate that they stole the generator in order to have some money to buy what they took to be life necessities at the time. 

Basupi told the accused that he was satisfied that their plea of guilt was consistent with the charge they were facing and accordingly found them guilty of the offence.

He then revoked their bail and told them to appear at the Francistown Magistrate Court today for mitigation and sentence.

Rodger Bosena of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) prosecuted.