P3.5m suspected arsonist denied bail
Tumelo Mouwane | Wednesday August 9, 2017 16:59
Magistrate Mokone adjourned the case to August 22 for bail re-application before a substantive magistrate. The state alleges that on July 6, 2017 at Betta Beef Farms in Lobatse, the accused person broke into the farm office and stole electronic gadgets including a computers and iPads worth P350,000 before proceeding to steal P150,000 in cash, all the properties belonging to Jacobus Frederick Jansen van Vuuren.
On count two, Caster is charged with arson. The state alleges that the accused person set the farm house ablaze on the fateful day. The total value of the burnt building is P2,900,000. The accused is alleged to have continued to damage some other properties which were within the farm at the time of the alleged offence and the total costs of all losses amounts to P3.5 million.
During a lengthy mention yesterday, the accused person re-applied for bail after substantive the Magistrate William Modise denied him bail on his first appearance before court a fortnight ago. Caster said he needed bail to secure his property and to have the liberty to seek for an attorney. He said he was shocked as to why the police alluded that, “he was not a candidate for bail since he tried to escape from a moving police vehicle”. He said the police fabricated the story in order to deny him bail.
“I was long arrested back on July 6 in connection with this incident. The police said they wanted me to be remanded in custody because their investigations were still fresh and they thought I could interfere with investigations. Today I am making a fresh application to be admitted to bail on reasons that I live in a rented house and if I am not granted bail, I am highly likely to lose the property. The owners of the rented house might as well bring me before the same court seeking their overdue rent payments.
“I also need to engage an attorney. I am self-defending hence if I am remanded I won’t be able to adequately look for money to pay the lawyers. I am shocked as to allegations made by police saying that I once tried to jump out of a moving police car when I was transported to prison. These are serious accusations and they are just fabricated stories in order to deny me bail,” he submitted.
Prosecutor Legodile Sennafela said the accused needed to be remanded in custody on the basis that investigations are still ongoing and that the police are yet to figure out whether some of the missing property was burnt inside the building or they are in possession of the accused. He said the accused person once tried to jump out of the police car hence he could not be trusted.
“The accused person is not a candidate for bail. We have long discussed this before the substantive court and we are of the view that if released on bail, the accused person is likely to interfere with police investigations looking at the fact that we are still trying to establish if some of the property has been burnt inside the house or they are in his possession.
“Lastly the accused cannot be trusted with bail. He once jumped out of a moving police car with handcuffs and leg irons on. He escaped and he was later arrested near Kgale hills in Gaborone. This is a person we cannot trust. There is nothing that will satisfy us that he will stand trial if granted bail,” he said.
Subsequently Mokone remanded the accused in custody until August 22 and the accused has been advised to re-apply for bail in the next mention if there has been any change of circumstances or approach the High Court for bail.