Four robbery suspects, who were caught after setting up a false road block in Makomoto lands in the Tonota Sub District, were last week granted bail by Francistown Magistrate, Thebeitsile Mulalu, on condition that they do not violate their bail conditions.
The accused, Samson Mabutho, Tichaona Zikhali, Nomiah Mattias and Gofamodimo Mudongo, a police special constable who was based at Tati Town Police Station, were nabbed by the Police on the 6th of July 2010 in Francistown after a tip off from the public.
It is alleged that the four and three others who are still at large acted jointly to rob Bao Lin Wen, a Chinese national, of his 2 cellphones, valued at P3000 and P2000.
It is also alleged the accused also robbed the complainant of some cash amounting to P150.
Information reaching the Sunday Standard is that the fourth accused, Mudongo, allegedly assisted the first accused with a police uniform to fool motorists into thinking he was a police officer.
The third accused, Mattias, who was Wen’s driver, had allegedly struck a deal with the other accused persons by informing them that the complainant had money and other valuables.
When one of the accused stopped Wen’s vehicle, the other two emerged with guns and took the car and drove Wen and his driver Mattias to Shashe Dam, a few kilometers away from Tonota Village. When they arrived at the Dam, they tied both Wen and his driver with tapes.
They then forged ahead and stole all the valuables from Wen.
Mattias, who was also tied, untied himself and Wen then reported the matter to Kutlwano Police Station in Francistown.
After police investigations, Mattias was also implicated in the robbery where upon it led to his arrest.
Three other suspects are said to be still at large.
Meanwhile, in another case, a former Botswana Defence Force soldier who, along with two other suspects, is charged with robbing a middle aged woman in Francistown in 2007, last week denied the charge and accused the police of framing him.
Edwin Ketswantwa, who was based in Area S camp in Francistown, told the Francistown Chief Magistrate Gabanagae Mokwadi that the whole drama started after he went to the police to report his vehicle which had been stolen.
“The police are not telling the truth because I came and reported that my vehicle had been stolen; I was never arrested for robbery and was never involved in the said crime,” he asserted.
According to the charge sheet, Ketswantwa, Moalosi Mokgethi and Ephraim Dube allegedly robbed Gadibolelwe Koloi of her items near Orapa junction on the 10th of March in 2007.
The case continues.
