Police arrest another impostor

Lebogang Mosikare | Tuesday August 26, 2014 14:03

 

This leaves only one suspect in the matter who is yet to be arrested.

Setume appeared in court yesterday together with his joint-accused, Tshepo Bebe, 30, from Zimbabwe, Botswana accomplices, Denis Tabulawa, 34, Gaone Smart Patronella, 39 and Esther Chengeta, 45,  The five are accused of stealing goods amounting to P34,150 from Maina Tina at Ntshe location here on June 19.

Some of the allegedly stolen goods include Nokia and Samsung cellphones, Mascom, Be Mobile and Orange airtime. The quartet is alleged to have been wearing police uniforms when they committed the offence.

 Inspector Mengistu Chigala told magistrate Dumisani Basupi yesterday that investigations into the matter are at an advanced stage.

Chigala added that the state would call nine witnesses to testify against the accused.

He further stated that he is hopeful that the police will arrest the last accused person in the matter.

The accused pleaded with the court to vary their bail conditions which they said they cannot fulfill because they are harsh.

The accused were granted bail on condition that they pay P5,000 and bring two sureties who shall each pay P1,000, report at Francistown police every Monday between working hours and should not interfere with state witnesses.Basupi ordered the prosecution to expedite their investigations so that trial dates in the matter are set. The accused are due in court on September 5 for mention.

Briefing the court on what transpired when the accused allegedly fraudulently obtained goods from Tina was detective constable Gaaikanngwe Letloa.Letloa told the magistrate that the first accused person, Bebe, told his co-accused that Tina was a businessperson who was selling cigarettes from Zimbabwe that are illegal in Botswana.

According to Letloa, Bebe then hatched a plan and sold it toTabulawa and Patronella.

They then planned to impersonate police officers  in a bid to get the cigarettes and other goods that Tina was selling.

Letloa told the court that Chengeta’s car was used as a getaway car by the accused.

Letloa added that police are still on the lookout for two other accused persons who were wearing police uniforms when they allegedly committed the crimes.

Letloa told Bebe that he was found with a police uniform, although he was not wearing it when the crime was executed. 

Letloa told the court that Tabulawa and Patronella are implicated in the matter because they pretended to be plainclothes police officers when the crime occurred.

He added that the accused fled the crime scene in Chengeta’s car after Tina asked them to produce their police identities, which they failed to do. Tina suspected that the accused may be thieves and she reported the matter to the police.

Letloa said the complainant managed to identify the car by its model, although the car had a false plate number.