Two police officers, Atlholang Mojanki and Tshepo Queen Newe, who are currently facing a single count of murder on Monday pleaded with the Francistown Senior Magistrate, Thebeitsile Mulalu, to grant them bail.
The officers are charged with the murder of one Bokani Socks who was a nurse at Nyangabwe Referral Hospital on January 3.
The murder incident happened in Donga location in Francistown.
The first accused, (Mojanki) was initially arrested and charged with the offence on January 9 and was granted bail on January 13. He was arrested again on February 7 after investigations revealed that he conspired with his co-accused to commit the crime and they were both remanded in custody.
The defense attorney, Kabelo Gaonyadiwe of KK Sechele Attorneys on Monday pleaded with the court to grant his clients bail saying that they would not interfere with the police investigations or the witnesses.
“The accused persons should be granted bail because in my view I do not believe that they would temper with police investigations or interfere with any of the prosecution witnesses. The first accused was initially charged and given bail on this matter and I never received any reports or complaints from the investigation officers that he tempered with evidence or violated any of his bail conditions,” he said.
 On the other hand, the prosecutor, Connie Letswalo from the DPP refused the court to grant the accused persons bail on the basis that police investigations are not yet complete. She further raised fears over the accused absconding from trial adding that murder is a serious offence which constitutes to death penalty.
“The court should take into cognizance the fact that the accused persons might abscond from trial or temper with evidence because murder is a serious offence which attracts death penalty. Therefore I strongly believe that the accused should be remanded in custody,” said the prosecutor.
The court will give its ruling regarding bail on February 14.
