Senior citizens plead innocent to theft charges

The duo and two other people who were not in court, are alleged to have stolen goods worth P5,400 belonging to Nancy Mbulawa at Mosetse village in the Central District. The state contends that the octogenarian Samson Pelaelo and septuagenarian Shinagai Mbulayi and their accomplices stole three rolls of barbed wire worth P2,000, two rolls of fence worth P1,000, poles valued at P1,500, two 200 litres drums worth P300 each and a trough valued at P600. The incident occurred in October 2012 during unknown dates.

The prosecutor Inspector Oteng Selalame, applied for another mention date to be set in the matter, explaining that this would allow the prosecution to ensure that the other accused persons are in court during the next mention date. However, Pelaelo said that contrary to the state assertion, he did not steal the said items but kept them at Mbulayi's place for security reasons because he was afraid that thieves might steal them.