�Killer� cop�s fate hangs in limbo
Sharon Mathala | Wednesday March 30, 2016 16:24
Tumisang Ntshabele died after he was run over by a police vehicle during a pursuit. Police have confirmed that their investigations have ended and a docket has been handed over to Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), which will decide on the officer’s fate.
“The docket has long been sent to the DPP. We are still waiting for the final verdict by the DPP. The man however is currently serving suspension pending the investigations,” said Mochudi station commander, Simon Sitale.
Sitale declined to comment on what possible charge the officer would face, if any.
“I am constrained to answer that. I can only reveal all the information once the DPP has finished their part and have informed me on the verdict,” he said.
However, the Botswana Police spokesperson, Christopher Mbulawa, told Mmegi that the norm was that the police recommend a charge to the DPP.
At the time of his death, Ntshabele’s family members told Mmegi that they suspected the police intentionally killed their relative, an accusation the police dismissed.
“At this point we do not know if the car hit him or if he hit the car. We have since arrested three men in relation to the incidents,” the station commander said at the time.
Witnesses claimed that the deceased and his friends had been urinating near the mall when they became involved in an altercation with security guards. The police allegedly then appeared ‘from nowhere’ and began pursuing the group of friends.
Sources close to the family have also said that the family has been denied access to the docket.
“The family met with the investigating officer a few weeks back, they say they were denied access to the docket, even though the investigating officer told them that the DPP had also completed their part,” said the family confidant.
“This is frustrating the family because they have even been denied the post mortem results. They were only given the death certificate.”