Human Traffickers Have Case To Answer-Judge

FRANCISTOWN: Justice Bashi Moesi on Friday ruled that three men from Malawi who are each facing five counts of promotion of trafficking in persons have a case to answer. The trio; John Mayodi, Enock Nkatha and Gaston Kamanga were arrested at Botswanas Kazungula border post with Zambia on July 11, 2016.

They had through their attorney, Morris Ndawana, made an application for a no case to answer. They allegedly promoted the trafficking of Sakina Estoni, Mary Mhone, Malise Biston, Graig Kapota and Tomasi Chirwa who are all citizens of Malawi. Reading a lengthy judgement, Moesi said all the alleged victims of trafficking vehemently  denied that the accused persons trafficked them from Malawi en route through Botswana to South Africa.

Instead, Moesi said, the alleged victims told the court that their relatives in South Africa asked the accused persons to assist them (victims) to travel from Malawi to South Africa. He stated that all the victims, save for one, had valid passports, adding that others were found in possession of travelling documents that only allowed them to pass through Zambia and not Botswana after the police arrested them at Kazungula border post. Conversely, Moesi noted that all the accused persons had valid passports.  Moesi said the investigating officer in the matter, Akanyang David, testified that they arrested the victims after discovering that they didn’t know where they were going to in South Africa.

Editor's Comment
Bravo police for prompt action

It is also hurting that whilst we all know that the Botswana Police Service (BPS) is charged functionally with the duties to investigate all forms of crime, some locals have resorted to taking the law into their own hands. It is very wrong to do that. There is also a possibility that one may wrongfully take the life of a person in the process, unless it is a justifiable case of self-defence. Recently, in the city of Francistown, some locals found...

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