Alleged rapist granted bail

Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Wednesday February 24, 2016 13:12

 

Joseph Nfila (37), allegedly raped and robbed two sisters of their cellphones at their home in the wee hours of February 14, 2016. He is alleged to have forced his victims to bath after raping them. The man is said to be facing other charges before the court.

Magistrate Makofi said that the accused should pay P2,000 bail and bring two sureties binding themselves with P10,000 each.

The magistrate also ordered the accused to surrender his travelling documents to Gaborone West police, not to commit any offence of a sexual nature and theft and report at the Gaborone West police station weekly on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Nfila, who broke into the house of his victims, a 36-year-old woman and her 27-year-old sister, was allegedly armed with a knife. He had applied for bail saying that he could not abscond from court.

Investigating officer in the matter, Detective Sub Inspector Bao Mopako who had been called by state Prosecutor Christinah Ramokwena to explain to the court why the accused should be denied bail, said the accused could temper with ongoing investigations.

He said they have recovered two of the four cellphones from the accused but are yet to recover a garment connected to the rape charge. He argued that if given bail, they fear that the accused would interfere with witnesses. He also said he fears for the safety of the accused as the victims and their relatives are angry over what happened.

Mopako further told the court that the accused had violated a court order in one of the cases that is before the court as he was ordered not to commit any offence. The investigating officer further explained that the accused does not qualify for bail because he has no permanent place of abode as his brother Obert Nfila said that he is not always at their parent’s home in Gaborone Block 3.

“When I asked him where he stays if he is not at Block 3, he replied that he spends time at Gaborone Extension 27 or Ginger and Maruapula,” he said.

Nfila argued that the prosecution could not use his failure to abide by a bail condition on a different matter as he is just a suspect in the matter. He argued that the investigating officer knows the Block 3 plot as his place of residence. He refuted submissions by the investigating officer that he  could temper with police investigations.

The suspect will appear again on April 25, 2016. n >