The suspect has denied that he is the Andrew Hlabangane, as named in South African extradition application papers, refuting ownership of the names.
He told the court that he is surprised at the names, the State is using for him. He said his names are Surprise Phiri from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe not Andrew Hlhabangane. "I am not the person they are looking for, and I have never been to South Africa. I do not know why they want me to account for someone's matters," he lamented giving evidence. The suspect went on to tell the court that he was surprised when police officers in plain clothes apprehended him last August when he came to buy his groceries in Francistown from Zimbabwe. "I was at the hiking stop with other people when the police officers approached us and asked us to lie on the ground. They said they suspected us of possession of firearms and we were as such apprehended," he stated. The information before the court is that Andrew Hlabangane and others not before the court allegedly robbed First National Bank (FNB) in South Africa and got away with about P1 million in cash in 2005.
