V.P’S SON-IN-LAW IN COURT FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
SON-IN-LAW to Botswana’s vice president, Slumber Tsogwane, was last week Thursday arrested for drug trafficking in Maun.
The 36-year-old Angelo Ditsiane was nabbed at Maun bus rank soon after collecting a parcel, which is believed to have been containing dagga, from a bus operated by Lawa Holdings.
Charged with a single count of Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Ditsiane and his coaccused, Lawa Holdings bus driver, Ebero Chiwenge, 47, appeared before Maun Magistrate for bail hearing on Tuesday.
The two were arrested after Chiwenge‘s bus was stopped and searched by the police at Makalamabedi Veterinary gate last Thursday. According to the charge sheet, the police recovered a sack containing 32 brown wrappings of greenish material suspected to be dagga. Upon questioning the bus driver, he revealed that he would be delivering the parcels to Ditsiane at Maun bus rank upon arrival.
The police are said to have followed the bus to Maun bus rank where they saw Ditsiane offloading the sack from the bus to his Honda fit. The duo were arrested and the Honda fit, together with the substances, were seized as exhibits .
On Tuesday this week, the investigating officer opposed the two accused persons’ bail saying that he needed time to establish who supplied them with the alleged substance.
“Investigations are still at infancy stage. I still need time to establish the source of the exhibit, being the dagga, so that we charge him as well, we have been informed that he stays in Francistown,” said Molefhi, adding that if the two are granted bail, they will jeopardise all his efforts.
Molefhi further revealed that he still needed more time to also get statements from the witnesses.
Meanwhile, the Defence Attorney, Charles Tlagae, has told court that his clients qualify for bail as they both have traceable places of residence. Tlagae further requested the court to grant them conditional bail, which will help ease the prosecution’s fear of them interfering with state witnesses.
“The prosecution has not addressed key issues of bail. They have not told the facts as to whether or not the accused persons will not stand trial if granted bail. We are saying the court should grant them bail with appropriate conditions,” contended Tlagae.
The matter has been set for today (Friday, 06th, 2022) for bail ruling.