Court Stories

Maun Magistrate Court four was filled to capacity on Monday as members of the community, Police Officers and Council employees came in large numbers to witness a trial of two members of Botswana Police Service charged with office breaking and theft.         

The two constables Liberty Matikiti, 31 and Masole Gammu, 27 are said to have broken into the North West District Council Revenue Office and stole two cash boxes containing P522 948.05 being payment for Drought Relief Programme (Ipelegeng).

The two suspects are said to have cut the fence and broke the revenue doors using a crowbar to gain entry into the revenue offices on the 11^th of April 2010. The two accused persons are still on interdiction pending the court ruling while the state is still going to call 22 more witnesses.

Part of their duties at Maun Police station was to escort the said money from the revenue offices to the post offices and after the break in investigations led to their arrest as part of the loot was found in their possession.

First to be crossed examined by Lawrence Lecha of Lecha and Associates and Charles Tlagae of Charles Tlagae and Associates who are representing the accused respectively was the Accountant Officer, Tumelo Keletso who told the court that she left office the day before robbery with everything in place.

She said that on arrival the following day she noticed that two trunks which kept Ipelegeng money were missing though she did not know how much had been inside.

During questioning the defence team put to her that she could be one of the suspects as she was never searched.
“You were in the same room with keys to the safe, there was no one to supervise you, you were also the last person to see the trunks but you were never searched during investigations,” said Tlagae.

He added that the first witness had two bank accounts which the police had not checked for balance.

Another witness, Senior Accountant Officer Matshelo Xhoqoe also told the court that he did not check if indeed there was money in the said trunks before knocking off.

On why the keys for the safe were left in the office, he said that it was the responsibility of the revenue collectors to keep the keys safe not him.

The trial continues

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