Majaga escapes jail by a whisker

Lebogang Mosikare | Wednesday February 8, 2017 18:00

The state says Majaga, together with alleged accomplices Shadreck Mochabange, Tshokolo Mochabange, Semphete Malindi and Goletswang Mpule acted jointly at Komtsia cattlepost near Dukwi village and were found in possession of the meat and hide of a cow reasonably suspected to be stolen.The case dates back to August 16, 2006, but was dropped in 2014, before its current resurrection.

Yesterday, state prosecutor Mothusi Meshack applied for a warrant of arrest to be issued against the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) MP and his alleged accomplices after they failed to appear in court even though they had been served with summons to appear.

Meshack told the court that only the Mochabange brothers were present in court while the other three accused persons were absent after refusing to sign the summons ordering them to appear.

“Majaga, Malindi and Mpule refused to receive and sign summons ordering them to appear in court hence their absence. The law is clear that a warrant of arrest should be issued against anyone who refuses to receive a subpoena ordering them to come to court despite being duly served. We, under the circumstances, apply for a warrant of arrest to be issued against all the accused persons who are not before court,” said Meshack.

Meshack added: “May the charge sheet be read to the accused persons present in court. We apply for another mention date to be set. The matter will then proceed after others who are absent are arrested”.

Magistrate Kose Makobo, however, decided against issuing a warrant of arrest against the MP and his co-accused. “For me to issue a warrant of arrest against the accused who are not present, I should first see that they refused to sign the return of service of the summons. I should be furnished with a copy of the return of service of summons to see that they indeed refused to sign it.”

She added: “I am reluctant to issue a warrant of their arrest for now. We will set another mention date and deal with all other issues in this matter during that date. The accused should come for mention on March 2”.