GBV Centre murder-accused remanded in custody
Murder suspect, Gomolemo Mmotlanyana has been remanded in custody pending a ruling on his bail application on June 26.
He is accused of killing his wife Kebabope Mmotlanyana at the Botswana Gender Based Violence Support and Prevention Centre that provides support to victims of Gender Based Violence (GBV) with accommodation and counselling services.
Opposing the bail application, Investigating Officer Detective Sergeant Keitumetse Bonang said the Police are yet to record statements from two eyewitnesses as they are still undergoing counselling.
Bonang noted that releasing the accused on bail might jeopardise her investigations. She said the accused and the deceased have three children together who were placed at a shelter where their mother was murdered, but have since been moved and placed under the custody of the accused’s parents.
Bonang highlighted that the three children started counselling sessions on Monday this week, starting with the eldest who is 12 years and the other two are scheduled for this Thursday.
Bonang shared that releasing the accused on bail may affect investigations. She is yet to establish what the accused’s intention was concerning the children when he committed the offence because he went to the same shelter where the children were placed. According to Bonang, there are no security features where the incident happened and the children were in the other room when the incident happened.
She is yet to find out if the accused has a history of GBV but what she knows so far is that he has past cases of malicious damage to property reported by the deceased, who later dropped all cases.
Bonang noted that the accused was invited by the counsellor at the centre to reconcile with the deceased.
For his part, the accused person Gomolemo, said since the incident, he has been cooperating with authorities, noting that he would not interfere with investigations.
“At the scene during that day, I asked one man at the centre to call the police and when they arrived I showed them exhibits. They found me holding my last-born child,” Mmotlanyana said. Representing the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Seeletso Ookeditse said there are eyewitnesses who are yet to be recorded as they are currently undergoing counselling and the state cannot force them to give statements until they are emotionally fit. Ookeditse said because the shelter has no security, they are not sure if the accused would temper with witnesses. She said in determining if the accused should be given bail, the state has to look at the interest of the children
and whether they will be witnesses or not in this case. Further, that the case should be treated with sensitivity.
For his part, Gomolemo requested the court to grant him bail saying he would not temper with witnesses. He promised the court that he would appear in court in all set dates.