A dramatic attempt to flee the country and a shifting wall of silence from a key employee emerged Tuesday as details of the P342,515 Tatitown Post Office heist were laid bare in court.
Lead investigator Detective Sergeant Thabologo Keorapetse revealed that one of the four suspects, Molibi Mokhalee, was intercepted by the Special Support Group (SSG) in Senyawe on April 3 while allegedly attempting to cross illegally into Zimbabwe.
His co-accused Gofaone Diteko, Babili Nfandiso, and Post Office Branch Manager Keabetswe Makei, also remain in custody. While P165,000 has been recovered thus far including P140,000 from Makei police are still hunting for the outstanding balance of P178,000.
Opposing bail, Detective Sergeant Keorapetse told Principal Magistrate Thapelo Buang that the Branch Manager’s cooperation has evaporated since her incarceration.
“Before Makei was remanded, she was very cooperative, but her attitude has completely changed. She has opted to remain silent,” Keorapetse testified. He argued that the suspects’ liberty is not a priority compared to the public interest of recovering funds intended for the elderly.
“The money was meant for old-age pension allowances—the most vulnerable people in our society,” the Detective emphasised. “The Branch Manager cannot now lament about her children or job security; she should have considered that before tampering with the money in her custody.”
The prosecution further noted that Mokhalee, Diteko, and Nfandiso are repeat offenders with pending cases involving obtaining by false pretences in Maun, Gaborone, and Francistown.
Sources close to the investigation suggest a web of personal ties among the accused: Makei and Mokhalee are reportedly cousins, while Diteko and Nfandiso are childhood friends.
The suspects remain remanded in custody. Bail submissions are set to continue on April 21, with senior attorney Morris Ndawana representing the Branch Manager.
