It came to light on Thursday that troubled journalist Daniel Kenosi would never have gone home even if Village Chief Magistrate Linah Mokibe-Oahile had granted him bail. As he stepped outside the Court room after being denied bail in a case he is charged with Cybercrimes, Kenosi was confronted by handcuff-wielding plain clothes officers from Francistown who were ready to arrest him for a separate charge of Criminal Defamation which has been registered in Francistown.
Kenosi was left confused as two officers, one from Gaborone Prison and the other from Francistown Kutlwano Police both extended handcuffs towards his hands. For a moment Kenosi giggled in disbelief as he told them he has only two hands and wanted to know to whom, between the two officers from two different security agencies, should he surrender his arms to. It turned out the officers from Francistown had been waiting outside court to arrest Kenosi in the event his bail application was successful.
Kenosi’s lawyer, Lore Morapedi confirmed that Francistown Police officers had in their possession a warrant of arrest and they only gave it to him outside court when Kenosi was taken back to prison after his unsuccessful application for bail. The warrant of arrest, which this publication has seen, was issued by a Francistown Court on January 7, 2015 and states that Kenosi was charged with Criminal Defamation last year December 16.
Kenosi’s lawyer was also at a loss for reasons that motivated the delay in arresting Kenosi when the warrant of arrest was issued four months ago. Kenosi told this publication as he was being escorted to a prison vehicle that the ambush took him by surprise. He however said he was doing fine and hopes to make good of his arrest. Meanwhile a bank account has been set up by local journalists to solicit funds for Kenosi’s case. Kenosi is expected back in Court on April 10.
