A man accused of hacking his mother death with an axe and for the alleged murder of his then girlfriend four years ago has been denied bail for the second time by the Maun High Court.
Moabi Molapisi’s hopes for release were shattered once again after Maun High Court Judge Nthomiwa Nthomiwa denied his bail application this week, after having rejected a similar application in August 2021.
Molapisi is accused of murdering his mother, Kehetwe Molapisi, with an axe at her home in Matlapana ward on June 29, 2020. The following day, he allegedly traveled approximately 900 km to Ramotswa, where he is said to have killed his ex-girlfriend, Gofiwa Kabelo. While he was granted bail in 2023 for the Lobatse case related to Kabelo’s murder, he has been remained in custody since his arrest four years ago.
In addition to the murder charges, Molapisi faces multiple other offenses, including housebreaking after allegedly breaking into his mother’s house on the day of the crime, unlawful use of her vehicle, and fraud. He is accused of fueling his mother’s car at a Shell filling station in Sedie with P800 worth of fuel and fleeing without paying.
Delivering the ruling, Judge Nthomiwa considered the legal principles surrounding bail applications, including the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the potential for witness interference, and the weight of the presented evidence.
The prosecution opposed Molapisi’s bail application, arguing that it was improperly submitted as a new request rather than an appeal, despite his previous denial in 2021. They further contended that he failed to demonstrate any significant change in circumstances that would justify reconsideration of his bail request.
In his application, Molapisi addressed issues from his prior bail request, including his intended residence if successful in his application. He also speculated that his sister had influenced the investigating officer to oppose his bail to prevent him from claiming his late mother’s assets. However, Judge Nthomiwa dismissed this claim as baseless suspicion.
In his ruling, Judge Nthomiwa clarified that the bail granted for the Ramotswa case was not a determining factor in this decision. He pointed out that he had not received documentation regarding that bail ruling, nor was it clear if the granting judge was aware of the Maun case.
Additionally, the judge acknowledged that the accused had been in custody for four years, but noted that the delays in the trial were largely due to multiple applications filed over the years by the applicant.
