Seven men broke into the Cash Crusaders shop at Madirelo Shopping Complex in the Station area in Gaborone on January 7, 2010 and got away with property valued at P173 866.
The seven, ranging in age from 20 to 35, deactivated the alarm before breaking into the shop through the ceiling, then destroyed the door leading to the store room and took cellphones worth P84,330, laptops worth P47,550, jewellery for P8,025 and many bags in which they carried the loot.
The store manager, Joseph John, said they are a Franchise4 group and had to increase their targets after the incident so that no employee’s contract got terminated.
The seven accused, Olebogeng Raster Ontuetse, Thabo Keosimile, Ikechukwu Martins Ohaeri, Kabo Calvin Mojalemotho, Tshepho Masimolole, Michael Lesly Mogome and Leon Tendai, most of them unemployed, appeared for their fourth mention on Monday.
On the same day, a police witness alleged that they retrieved six laptops and 34 cellphones from “Rasta”.
Forty-seven other cellphones were recovered in Mmopane.
The trial continues on Thursday at the Village Magistrate Court where three other accused were granted bail.
