Adam Abdi Mahommed, the Somali refugee who was convicted by Francistown Magistrate Lorraine Makati Lesang for attempted rape last week, failed to appear for sentencing and is feared to have skipped the country into South Africa.
State prosecutor in the matter, Reneetswe Rabosotho, confirmed to Sunday Standard that he had heard rumours that Mahommed had absconded and had crossed the border to escape the wrath of the law.
“We currently have to serve the Police with a warrant of his arrest but at this moment I cannot establish whether he crossed the border to South Africa or any other place,” he told the Sunday Standard.
However the father to the complainant, who is known as Bashir, also revealed to the Sunday Standard that he was told at the refugee camp that Mahommed had crossed the border into South Africa after allegedly threatening that he will return for revenge and to kill Bashir.
“I also live in fear because I know that he might just come back and kill me,” Bashir said.
Mahommed had been convicted a week earlier, with his charge being dropped from one of rape to a charge of attempted rape due to lack of evidence.
He had continuously refuted the charge, saying that he was framed by fellow Somalis for converting to Christianity, a religion he claims the Somalis hate. At one point, he told the court during trial that he lived in fear for his life as the Somali community at the refugee camp had allegedly connived to blemish and kill him due to their hate of Christianity.
Mahommed once told the Sunday Standard that Bashir is an alleged Al Qaeda terrorist.
According to the charges from the state, Mahommed, between 2003 and 2006 at the Dukwi Refugee Camp raped a minor. It is alleged that he took the child, who was playing with his children, and raped her in his house by enticing her with sweets. He is also alleged to have taken the unsuspecting victim to his rented house in Letlhakane where he repeatedly raped her.
