Family suspects police foul play

Sharon Mathala | Thursday April 23, 2015 18:32

The family, who declined to be identified,  told Mmegi that they were of the view that the visible injuries on the man’s body did not correlate with what the police told them.

“What we have been told happened does not add up. How can someone who fell on his head have bruises on his body? Where he is said to have hit a capstone is not the same place where we saw his pool of blood.

“It really does not add up. We are praying that he wakes up so he tells his side of the story,” said a family member, who added that they were contemplating legal action whether their relative died or recovered.

The man was hospitalised 12 days ago at Princess Marina Hospital and was last Monday subsequently referred to Gaborone Private Hospital under police guard.

Mogoditshane Police Station Commander, Nkwebi Chilisa confirmed the man, Phineas Lesele was arrested in the wee hours of April 11 together with his younger brother, Rapula Lesele.

The arrest, which allegedly escalated from a simple traffic offence, a few minutes later turned into a life-threatening ordeal.

According to a highly placed source, at the police station, Phineas who was the driver, was asked to lock his car and turn in any of his personal belongings, as the two men were to spend the night in jail.

“He was asked by another officer to go lock his car which was parked outside. They left the charge office with the officers. When they got to the car, he is said to have then taken a knife from his car and threatened the officers with it.

“During the scuffle he tried to flee from the station and that is when he tripped and hit the ground with his head.

At least that is what the officers who were at the scene said,” alleged the source.

The man is said to have immediately slipped into a coma and has been in hospital since. After a week at the Princess Marina Hospital’s ICU, the man was on Monday night transferred to GPH for an operation.

Reached for comment, Chilisa said that the man is now facing charges of resisting arrest and possession of an offensive weapon.

He however refused to elaborate further, explaining that the matter was still under investigation.

“It is the subject of investigation. He is at the moment facing charges of resisting arrest and being found in possession of an offensive weapon.

“There has been an inquiry made as to why he is in hospital. That is all we can say for now,” said Chilisa.