Bail-breaking Molapo Crossing suspects pursue bail
Pini Bothoko | Thursday October 26, 2017 15:35
The two made national headlines when they appeared on prime time Btv on Monday. They had allegedly robbed a bureau de change at Molapo Crossing at gunpoint, before engaging in a movie-style chase before being lassoed in Block 7.
Yesterday, prosecutors told Village Principal Magistrate, Goodwill Makofi that both Thupane and Ramaphane were out on bail at the time of Monday’s incident. Thupane gained notoriety earlier this year for a string of armed robberies at supermarkets in and around Gaborone. One of the robberies was featured via CCTV on Btv where Thupane allegedly masqueraded as a heavily injured customer to gain sympathy, before muscling into a back area, assaulting a guard and making off with cash.
The two suspects told Makofi that they intended to apply for more bail, even though both were granted bail for other similar offences as recently as a few weeks ago. It was also revealed in court that the two, together with another suspect still at large, are charged with using a gun to threaten a cashier at the bureau de change in Molapo, before attempting to steal money.
Prosecutors said in another alleged incident, Thupane and another individual at large hit Payless Supermarket at G/West Complex on October 21, 2017 in Gaborone, threatening Tshepang Sethabi with a gun and making off with cash amounting to P11,570 and beMobile P20 airtime.
Thupane was arrested in June after allegedly robbing Choppies Superstore where he had faked an injury. In that particular case, he was arrested with a co-accused, Adolphius Mogakolodi Legae, with the duo suspected of a string of armed robberies.
Legae is also suspected of several rape cases and the shooting of a woman. Both Thupane and Legae were granted bail later in June, with the latter fleeing to South Africa where he was arrested and remains in custody awaiting extradition. Police previously said Thupane had nine cases of armed robbery and rape linked to him.
Representing the State yesterday, Daphney Gadise told the court that the duo were not trustworthy people and could not be granted bail (again) or be allowed to go back into society. She said Thupane and Ramaphane were already on bail for similar offences. “When granted bail, the two were given conditions and one of them was that they should not commit any theft-related offence.
“I oppose any application for bail from the accused persons and they should be remanded in custody because they are not trustworthy. On August 12, and September 21 this year, Ramaphane was granted bail for other serious crimes at Village and Broadhurst Magistrates’ courts respectively with similar bail conditions of not committing any other theft-related offence, but here they are,” Gadise said. Gadise said that Ramaphane was applying for bail for the third time while Thupane was on his second application, with both disobeying the bail conditions.
Makofi remanded the two in custody and instructed the prosecution to bring the investigating officer in the matter to State reasons why the duo should not be granted bail in their next mention on November 9.