Botswana Police Service (BPS) and Directorate of Intelligence Services (DIS) last week raided Maximum Security Prison and seized more than 30 cell phones.
The raid and seizure arose from an interception of communication between the Kopong teacher murder accused Outlwile Aston and another alleged hit man yet to be arrested.
According to the charge sheet dated 14th July, 2022, Aston together with three others who are currently in custody at Maximum Security Prison, are charged with acting together with a common purpose and in concert at Mogampane ward in Kopong in the Kweneng District Administrative District and murdered one Barulaga Aston (wife to Mr Aston).
The Telegraph understands that officers from DIS and BPS raided the Maximum Security Prison at 3am in the morning on Thursday and confiscated more than 30 cells phones from different prison inmates.
It is understood that the joint operation intercepted a plan by one of the accused persons in the murder of Kopong teacher (Aston) to assassinate a family member of the deceased (Mrs Aston) using a Zimbabwean hit man who is still on the run.
Sources said, the alleged mastermind who smuggled cellphones into Maximum Prison is a wellknown convict by the name David Modise (prison inmate).
Modise is currently serving 25 years in prison and is alleged to have helped Aston to communicate with Alex.
This publication can reveal that Alex who works as a messenger and gardener at Aston’s company was also taken for questioning at Sebele detention Centre.
The Zimbabwean native Alex, works at Lightning Strike Construction Company, which is housed at Monthe Marumo Attorneys building in Finance Park.
Sources closer to Monthe Marumo Attorneys reveal that a certain individual who was targeted by the hitman is a close relative of the deceased person.
It is alleged that Aston was planning to kill the second family member hence being taken on Thursday for questioning.
The Telegraph understands that Alex is the one who allegedly transported the Zimbabwean hitman before their mission was botched after realizing that the intelligence team might be following them.
According to Prisons Act, it is illegal for inmates to use cellphones in prison.
Sources closer to the investigation team reveal that immediately after Aston’s court appearance at Broadhurst Magistrates Court, where he appeared for mention, he was taken to Prison and later taken to DIS Sebele detention Centre for questioning.
In a previous interview with The Telegraph, the then Botswana Prisons Service public relations officer, Senior Superintendent, Wamorena Ramolefhe confirmed the rising number of cases where inmates are found in possession of cellular phones in prison.
He said that they have established that the cellular phones are used to carry a number of criminal activities outside prisons.
“We have since dismissed a number of prison warders because they were conniving with inmates to smuggle cellular phones inside prison,” says Wamorena.
