Makati was convicted in connection with the October 2016 armed robbery and murder of South Korean national Ja Chul Koo, who was working on a project to refurbish Morupule A Power Station.
Koo and his compatriot, Moonhan Jang, were reportedly working on the Palapye based project, which was being undertaken by a Korean company, when they were attacked in the dead of night. In passing sentence after considering whether there were circumstances that could mitigate the seriousness of the offence, Justice Sechele said the court had considered all the facts cumulatively but found that they did not amount to extenuating circumstances. “The Court has considered all the facts with a view to determine whether or not they are, in their cumulative effect, extenuative. “My conclusion is that they are not,” Justice Sechele ruled. The judge described the attack as an elaborate plan targeting the victims at a time when they were most vulnerable. “The convict, hatched an elaborate plan to attack the deceased and his colleague at a time when they were most vulnerable. The attack was launched in the dead of night,” he added. According to court documents, during the attack, a firearm was discharged, resulting in Koo sustaining a fatal gunshot wound, while Jang was shot in the thigh but survived.
