Two days before Christmas, a deputy commander of the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) and a Gaborone-based lawyer were dragged to court and charged with four criminal counts.
The accused persons, Otisitswe Tiroyamodimo, the BDF deputy commander, and Gaborone lawyer, Temperance Ketshabile, on the 23rd of December last year appeared before the Gaborone Village Magistrate, Sele Motlhaleng, and pleaded not guilty to all four counts laid against them by the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).
According to charge sheet, the first count states that Tiroyamodimo on the 19th of July last year drove a motor vehicle whilst unfit to drive through drunkenness or drugs and collided with another motor vehicle.
The second count states that Tiroyamodimo refused to provide a breath specimen as requested by the police officer.
Tiroyamodimo is also accused of giving false information to police officers on the 6th of August last year at Mogoditshane Police station to the effect that the second accused, Ketshabile, was the one who was driving the vehicle, which was not the case.
Ketshabile is accused of giving false information as well.
In a brief interview with The Sunday Standard the case prosecutor, Modibedi Tladi, said that “about five witnesses will be brought to testify against the accused persons”.
He said the trial is scheduled to resume on the 17, 18 and 27th of March this year.
The two accused persons are expected to appeaser before court on the 8th of February to confirm trial dates that have been already set.
