Setlaampoloka murder trial set to start

The trial of six police officers implicated in the murder of Italy Setlaampoloka is set to start at the Gaborone High Court after the case record was found last week. The case has been registered and allocated to Justice Leatile Dambe who previously served as Director of Public Prosecutions.

The case has been the subject of much speculation because it has yet to be prosecuted two years after it was committed to the High Court. The defendants in the case are Ranto Mmeleki, Tebogo Khutsafalo, Kabo Moffat Ramohibidu, Michael Ramhitshwana, Dithuso Dintwe and Patrick Gobotswang, all police officers. They have been out on bail since their committal to trial at the High Court two years ago. The officers are all charged with the murder of Setlaampoloka in Mogoditshane on or about July 29, 2009 and giving false information to the effect that the deceased had escaped from their custody at Gabane and committed suicide at Samokala farmlands. This information caused the police to open an inquest docket.

Gobotswang is further charged with destroying evidence after allegations emerged that he had burnt a plastic and a tyre tube that was used to torture the deceased.  Alongside Mmeleki, Khutsafalo and Dintwe, he faces another charge of unlawful disposal of the deceased's body on July 29, 2009 at the Seakale farmlands in the Kweneng District.

Editor's Comment
BDP primaries leave a lot to be desired

The BDP as a party known to have ample resources has always held its primaries well in time, but this time around that was not the case. The first leg of the primaries was held last weekend, with the final leg being billed for the coming weekend. This time around, the BDP failed to shine in its primary elections. The elections were chaotic; most if not all polling stations didn't open at the specified time of 6am. Loyal BDP members braved the...

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