Setlampoloka murder case - perfect script for blockbuster

Missing exhibits, contaminated crime scene, poor collection of samples, contradictory statements and witnesses gone AWOL. All these sound like a script from a Hollywood movie, except this is the reality that surrounded the Italy Setlampoloka murder case.

The Court Case

It has been a long nine years since an alleged habitual criminal, Setlampoloka was murdered by six police officers as per the charge sheet. However, what the police started out as an obligation to hold those accountable responsible for the murder to allow the family to find closure, turned into nothing short of a suspenseful drama. Heartbreak for some. Joy for others. As the curtain fell on Tuesday, marking the end of a long journey for the deceased family, and the police officers who have been on trial since they were committed to the High Court in 2013, Gaborone High Court’s outgoing presiding judge, Leatile Dambe could not hide her disappointment as she flipped the pages to read the judgement.

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...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up