One suspect freed in Kanye shoot-out
Mpho Mokwape | Thursday February 5, 2015 12:16
Frankly Samhera (24) from Zimbabwe was released after appearing before Kanye Principal Magistrate, Janet Phosa, who remanded three other suspects. The magistrate told Samhera he was free to go but explained to him that if at a later stage the prosecution gathered evidence that implicated him, they would be at liberty to reinstate the charges.
“For now, you are a free man but just know that the prosecution will still be allowed to reinstate the charges if during investigations, you are linked to the crime,” she said.
The prosecuting officer, Goitsemang Sekgabo applied for Samhera’s discharge, saying investigations had not yet linked him to the crime. “The suspect was arrested with the rest of the other suspects but for now, the investigating officer has not found any incriminating evidence against him. We therefore request that he be released for now,” he said.
Noah Rutherford, attorney for one of the accused Evans Mhiwatiwa, did not object to the withdrawal of charges. Reports say Samhera was in the vicinity of the shootout when armed robbers and police exchanged fire.
Upon hearing the gunshots, he ran away and police mistook him for one of the suspects and apprehended him. Samhera reportedly ran away as he also believed police wanted to nab him for being illegally in the country.
Meanwhile, Samhera has been arraigned in court on charges of overstaying in Botswana illegally.
It is alleged he has overstayed for 220 days without proper documentation.