Police believe that the arrest of four suspects in connection with an armed robbery that resulted in the murder of a 45 year old Indian national Mahesh Suryakant Brahme in Phase 2 in Gaborone is likely to give them a clue to the several serious crimes, including armed robberies, which hit Gaborone and surrounding areas recently.
Gun violence has been a major issue in the country recent months, with several shootings and slayings making headlines in the local media.
The Police were commenting on the arrest of four suspects, Tebogo Matho, Refilwe Mosweu, Karabo Molefe all of Old Naledi as well as Kagiso Kgangyapelo of Mogoditshane who appeared before the Village Magistrate charged with a single count of murder.
The four men are accused of killing Brahme at Phase 2 in Gaborone recently. The suspects were remanded in custody and they will appear for second mention on the 4th of October this year. They are aged between 24 and 32.
 Botswana Police Service spokesperson Senior Superintendent  Dipheko Motube told The Telegraph that the suspect were facing a holding charge; meaning that further investigations are still ongoing which could link the suspect to a number of armed robberies that hit Gaborone and surrounding areas recently. He said they are likely to alter the charge sheet and add more charges.
Police reiterated that the four suspects are also linked to a series of armed robberies involving business in and around Gaborone that occurred recently.
“We believe that the arrest of the four suspects is likely give us clue regarding the upsurge in the recent armed robbery cases; the arrest will help us solve the pending armed robbery cases,” he said. Motube would not be drawn into discussing claims that they have repossessed a number of fire arms from the suspects saying more details “will unfold before courts”. ┬á
Recently, the Indian High Commission in Botswana wrote ┬áa letter to Botswana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation, questioning circumstances leading to the death of its national, Mahesh Suryakant Brahme who was shot dead recently by unknown gunmen. ??It is understood that the embassy, in a letter addressed to Phandu Skelemani’s Ministry, wants the Botswana Police Service to treat the issue as a matter of urgency by speeding up investigations and apprehending the culprits behind the death of its citizen.
The embassy’s the counsellor and head of chancery at Indian High Commission Raj Chawla confirmed that they had written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.??“Yes, Indian High Commission wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to speed up investigations into the murder of Indian national,” he said.
