A 20-year-old man of Sedie Ward in Maun, charged for the brutal murder of his 12-year-old sister in last month will undergo psychiatric assessment.
Maun Magistrate Keneilwe Kgoadi has ordered prosecution to take Ogona Thabologang for a psychiatric assessment following unusual conduct he portrayed during his previous court appearances.
On his first court appearance on the 9th September, when asked if he wanted to engage an attorney Thabologang told prosecution to proceed to the next question and the court interpreter took time trying to make sense to him on what he was being asked. The accused person later opted to represent himself.
During his second court appearance on the 19th September when asked if he wanted bail, Thabologang told prosecution to do whatever they think is best for him, and further said he was fine in prison. His responses left Kgoadi with no choice but to order an assessment for him.
Thabologang is scheduled to be taken to Jubilee Psychiatric Hospital in Francistown on the 20th November for the assessment. When appearing before Maun Principal Magistrate Thebeetsile Mulalu on Tuesday, state prosecutor told court that they failed to secure a nearer date for the accused person’s assessment due to a back log of appointments at the hospital.
He pleaded for the accused person to be further remanded pending the psychiatric assessment whose results will determine whether he is mentally fit to stand trial or not.
For his part the accused told court that prosecution had promised to give him bail on the 4th October 2022. Mulalu however told him that his bail matter will be dealt with when he comes back from assessment.
Thabologang who is said to have initially confessed to the murder of Lesego Thabologang following his arrest on the 6th September allegedly murdered the sister on the night of 4th September 2022 at Sedie in their bedroom and later took her body to a bush near their home and burnt it.
He is said to have then taken the police to the scene where they found the 12 year old deceased’s body burnt beyond recognition. The accused person however did not explain the reasons to committing the horrific offence.
The deceased was earlier reported missing by her 52 year old father on the morning of the 5th September after she went to sleep in the room she shared with her alleged murderer the previous night.
During his arraignment Thabologang pleaded to be granted bail for him to meet with his family to discuss the matter.
State Prosecution objected his bail application then, pleading with the court to remand him as the matter was still at an infancy stage, and that it feared if granted bail, the accused person might interfere with possible witnesses whose statements had not yet been collected.
The accused person will appear on the 17th of October for status update.
