Police in Maun have made a breakthrough in arresting a group of suspected criminals who have reportedly been terrorizing residents of Maun and surrounding areas.
The eight, Moratwa Thuo (33), Amogelang Modisaotsile (34), Mpho Moeti (28), Edward Kesentseng (41), Keobonye Abram (37), Collen Morake (37), Tshepiso Ramatlhape (41) and Brian Mokwena (27) have since been arraigned before the Maun Magistrate’s Court charged with two counts of theft and robbery.
Four of the accused persons are from Maun while the other four are from Sehithwa, Mahalapye, Mopipi and Nxaraga respectively. State Prosecution has however indicated that some of the accused persons are still at large.
In the first count, it is alleged that the accused persons were on the 22nd and 23rd of April 2022 at or near Boseja Industrial, acting together in common purpose, broke into a storeroom belonging to Neki Generation Panel Beaters and stole their properties worth more than P30 000.
In the second count, the accused persons are alleged to have on about the 14th of May 2022, near Kgantshang Settlement acted together in common purpose, used actual violence on Security Guards employed by Ngamiland Abattoirs to still properties worth P98 662.97 belonging to the company.
The court has since granted bail to Moeti, Kesentseng and Abram who were reportedly found in possession of the stolen properties which were left in their care by the other accused persons. The trio are likely to turn State witnesses pending Investigating Officer (IO) report. They were granted bail on conditions that they report themselves to Maun Police Station daily and that they do not interfere with ongoing police investigations.
Meanwhile Chief Magistrate Thebeetsile Mulalo ordered all the accused persons to be taken to the hospital for medical checkup following claims they made that they were assaulted by police officers who arrested them. The accused persons who allege to have suffered body pains from the police beatings have since demanded to open a case against them. The other five accused persons were further remanded in custody pending their next mention set for the 23rd of June this year.
Police have since requested some of other companies who have also previously reported that their properties were stolen to come and identify them at their CID offices. Other companies including, Abercrombie and Kent, Letaka Safaries, Maun Delta Helicopter, Flash, Top Bread and The Okavango Craft Brewery are said to have already identified theirs.
