Four police impersonators charged
Koketso Kgoboge | Wednesday October 21, 2020 12:24
Thirty three-year-old Oteng Modise of Moshupa, 31-year-old Joel Ngwakomonnye of Mmadinare, Dimpho Lobakeng (36) of Gaborone and Mooketsi Manong (32) of Mahalapye were arrested in Palapye at Lotsane Junction Mall following a tip-off.
The suspects on separate occasions on July 10 and October 7, 2020 swindled two gullible Serowe natives of P28,000 and P10,000 at the Serowe Mall and Boiteko Junction Mall, respectively. Magistrate Masego Machiba remanded the four in custody until November 5 pending investigations.
Although they were charged with two cases, Serowe Police Station commander superintendent Poloko Oteng said his office was investigating four cases of similar nature in his jurisdiction where people were conned of about P70 000 in total. He suspected the accused persons could be involved in the matter.
When pleading with the Court to remand the accused persons, the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Joshua Moagi said there were about 20 pending cases countrywide of criminals who impersonated police to milk unsuspecting people of their money and such matters are being investigated.
He said he was afraid, that given bail the suspects could move fast to cover their tracks as they had not yet been able to visit their various locations to do searches owing to the COVID-19 movement restrictions.
Moagi also said they had applied with the medical teams to test the four for COVID-19 and could then proceed to their places of abode for searching adding that he suspects the group could be linked to other cases.
He said the four men were also difficult to trace as they were always on the move around the country conning people of their money.
“We learnt from the victims that the suspects had police identity cards that we still haven’t found. We believe we could find some of these things when we search their places of abode,” he said when pleading for further remand of the accused.
The three of accused persons did not contest the remand save for Lobakeng but pleaded with the court to order the police to take them for medical attention after they said they received inhuman torture.
Lobakeng said he had underlying medical conditions and that he had since left his children alone at home in Gaborone who would be wondering where he was.