The trial of Tsaone Rebeloeng, who survived the ‘exchange’ of fire between law enforcement officers and alleged robbers, started on Thursday at the Extension 2 Magistrate Court. First to take the stand was Sergeant Sakaiwa Modire of the Botswana Police Service who told the court that on February 23, 2022, they received a report that Security Systems cash in transit van had been robbed at Bank of Baroda.
He stated that, following on the report, officers then went on a search for alleged cash in transit heist robbers, which led them to a Phase 2 house. Upon arrival at the location, Modire revealed that they were involved in a shootout with the suspects. “As we approached the house in Phase 2, we heard gunshots from inside the house. We leaned against the wall and steadily went inside the house. When we got in, other gunshots were fired from the ceiling,” Modire said, adding his team returned fire to protect themselves from the suspects. “We immediately returned fire and two bodies fell from the ceiling, actually there were three. We went from other rooms asking whoever is in the house to come out but nobody did,” he added. However, Rebeloeng’s attorney Kgosietsile Ngakaagae challenged if there was ever a shootout as the ballistic report does not assist in clearing that. “I have the ballistics of all the firearms that were recovered and the report does not show who these rifles belong to whether BPS, DIS,” Ngakaagae said.
“The guns you use are known and traceable, they have serial numbers but they were not linked to the ballistics recovered. Do you know why?” asked the defence attorney. Before proceedings started, heavy armed security was seen around the court and it was later discovered that the close to a million pula in hard cash that was recovered at the Phase 2 house was to be presented as exhibit. After the lead investigator in the case tendered the cash as exhibit, Magistrate Kamogelo Mmesi jokingly noted that the cash should be removed from the court and taken back to a secure place. “We don’t want another shoot out,” the Magistrate jokingly said sending the court into laughter. Mmesi noted that she will deliver a ruling on whether Reboeleng should make her defence on May 26.
