A 37-year-old woman of Letlhakane in the Boteti Sub District appeared before Francistown Judge, Tshepo Motswagole, to answer to charges of murder.
According to the charge sheet, Ketlaletswe Passman, also known as “Mantsere”, allegedly murdered one Omphementse Maruping by trying to procure for her an abortion on the 4th of June in 2008.
Leading evidence in court, a woman who turned state witness who was in the company of the accused during the incidents, revealed that on 25th of May in 2008, the aunt to Maruping (deceased) approached her and demanded to know if there was someone who could help Maruping abort a child as she was pregnant and did not want the pregnancy. The witness then advised her that she knew Passman who is said to be famous in Letlhakane for aborting pregnancies.
“The aunt to the deceased, then requested that I give her the cell phone of Passman and if possible, tell her that there is someone who needs her services,” she told court.
The witness established that after that she met with the accused and then she (accused) consented that she can only perform the abortion if the client has P400 as payment. She went on to divulge in court that after a few days Passman approached her and told her to come and assist her as she had attempted to abort the pregnancy on Maruping and she was not moving and showed signs of death.
“She then told me that the deceased is in her house and cannot move or talk, she was afraid she could be dead after trying to perform the abortion,” the witness told court.
She went on to state that the accused then took her to her house where she found her, Maruping, naked and motionless in bed. Passman then suggested that the witness should assist her in trying to destroy evidence before the police came and the witness refused. She added that upon realizing that her attempt to perform an abortion led to death, Passman then took the deceased’s two cell phones and disposed of them in the toilet to destroy evidence.
“I then left her alone and rushed home because I was in a state of shock, trauma and fear,” the witness added.
The witness divulged that the following day she saw her coming to her place in the company of Criminal Investigation Department officers who then also took all of them for interrogation.
The accused is presented by Tshekiso Tshekiso of Kgalemang and Associates and the state is represented by Moffat Dick from the Directorate of Public Prosecution.
The case continues.
