A “wanted” suspect in Botswana’s biggest ever armed robbery, Tebogo Masifi, who was hiding in South Africa has decided to come and stand trial in Botswana.
South Africa’s Masifi, believed to be one of the masterminds in P17 million cash in transit robbery, is reported to have withdrawn an appeal he had filed against his extradition to Botswana, a source at the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has revealed.
The DPP is now awaiting South Africa’s Minister of Justice to sign relevant documents to expedite Masifi’s extradition to Botswana.
Another suspect in the robbery, Ricardo Skhumbuzo Mlotsha, is however still awaiting his appeal in a South African jail.
This comes after a South African Court ruled in favour of Botswana’s DPP that the duo should be extradited to Botswana to stand trial for the armed robbery.
Two other suspects believed to be Mozambiqueans are still at large. The only Motswana in the armed robbery, Jeremiah Modise, is currently serving a 10-year-jail sentence.
Modise was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by Gaborone Chief Magistrate Lot Moroka after confessing to the armed robbery.
Modise told the Court that before the robbery was carried out, he had carried out surveillance at the airport for several days whilst the armed robbers were standing by waiting for orders to act.
On one of those days, he told the Court that he called off the armed robbery when he noticed a heavy presence of armed security at the airport.
He told the Court that after the armed robbery, he waited for days then crossed into South Africa where they shared the loot. Police found about P100, 000 in his refrigerator in Tlokweng. At one stage, two of his children were jointly charged with him but the charges were later withdrawn after he promised that he would plead guilty as charged.
