Another prison escapee arrested in Zimbabwe
Dolly Bathobakae | Friday February 3, 2017 15:43
Sub-Inspector Kelebonye Matsapa told the court yesterday that the Zimbabwean fugitive, Thabani Ncube, was recently arrested in his home country.
He added that the police are now in the process of preparing his extradition documents so that he can come to Botswana to face his alleged offences that include murder. The investigating team is working with Interpol to extradite him to Botswana.
Police say that he was arrested in Zimbabwe after he allegedly committed the offence of theft.
The police have so far managed to arrest Mlindeni Moyo, Mthokodzisi Sibanda, Sicelo Sibanda, Goodwin Mapunganyika, Rowland Moyo, Gaomodimo Molosiwa and Charlotte Ndlovu.
The arrested men are facing a slew of charges among them atrocities like armed robbery and murder.
When the alleged jail breakers appeared in court yesterday, Matsapa applied for charges to be read to Rowland Moyo, Gaomodimo Molosiwa and Charlotte Ndlovu but said that their pleas should be reserved.
However, Matsapa told the court that the police and prison authorities were unable to bring Molosiwa to court because he willfully refused to come to court.
Molosiwa was arrested at Aerodrome location on January 18 at the homestead of Newton James following a tip-off.
The police later charged James with an offence of harbouring a fugitive. James was released from custody in December after he was charged with robbery that he allegedly committed with Molosiwa.
Molosiwa has already been sentenced to a cumulative 38 years in jail for three different counts of robbery and he is also facing other robbery charges that are still ongoing.
In addition, Molosiwa is also facing a charge of common assault after he allegedly assaulted Mompoloki Gaboiphiwe, a prosecutor from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) last year.
Matsapa added: “Ndlovu is currently at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital where he is hospitalised. The team investigating these matters is still continuing with its investigations and its hopeful that it will arrest the 10 remaining escapees”.
“Since our investigations are still continuing, we apply that the accused shall be remanded in custody to give the investigating team ample time to continue with its investigations,” Matsapa said.
The accused told Chief Magistrate Gaedupe Makgatho that they had nothing to say concerning the state’s application.
In reply to Molosiwa’s refusal to come to court, Makgatho said that he would take appropriate action after reading relevant legislation governing accused persons who refuse to come to court.
Makgatho set the matter for February 16 for another mention.