Defence counsel takes magistrate to task

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The defence counsel to one of the five men accused of murder and armed robbery at a Gaborone North farm has challenged the admissibility of the confession statement from one of state witnesses as evidence in court.

Defence attorney Eddie Babuseng - who represents accused Patrick Gaile, one of the accused in the murder of security officer, Olebogeng Ramapulane, and assault of Chinese national, Liu Jian Hui on August 28, 2013 - gave magistrate Basetsana Keikantse an unpleasant stay in the witness box.

He argued that the accused was influenced by his emotions of fear to make a confession statement because the police had recently beaten and tortured him.

Editor's Comment
Get back what was stolen, and lock the door

That a single private law firm pocketed P6.5 million for just four cases, out of a total P11.1 million paid for 25 matters, reeks of a system that was not merely disorganised but open to abuse.Bayford has taken a welcome first step by telling the Public Accounts Committee the truth. Now he must act decisively to ensure it never happens again and that any money lost to wrongdoing is recovered.The figures are staggering. Whilst ordinary Batswana...

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