Daughters, son join Modise in dock

BAME PIET
Staff Writer | Thursday March 22, 2007 00:00

 

The three siblings are charged with assisting their father in concealing stolen money between January 13 and February 2. They pleaded not guilty to the charge.  Modise, who had not been asked to plead in previous court appearances, also denied the charge of armed robbery. They will appear for mention on April 30.  Kagiso, who works in South Africa, was ordered to report to Botswana Police once a month while Lesego and Keneilwe were ordered to report to the nearest police station once a week.

Businessman Solomon Tlhapane was introduced as Modise's new surety after it was announced that David Modise was relocating to work in South Africa.  He said that he would be uncomfortable with continuing as a surety when he is outside Botswana.  Chief Magistrate Lot Moroka explained to Tlhapane that if Modise failed to appear in court at the set dates, he (Tlhapane) would be required to pay P20, 000 to the state. 

Earlier, prosecutor Priscilla Israel argued that Kagiso should report to Botswana Police every two weeks because the state was taking risks by giving him bail.  She said he might not appear in court again, which defence attorney Unoda Mack dismissed, saying such fears were unreasonable. 

Israel told the court that the state is in the process of repatriating the stolen money to Botswana to be used as exhibits and assured the court that by September they would have finished doing that.  Trial dates were set for September 18-27 and the state intends to call 15 witnesses, most of them from South Africa, including Modise's relatives. 

Modise and others are charged with robbing Fidelity Security Company of P5.5million in foreign currency (USD and Euros) at gunpoint on December 18, 2006.  Some of his accomplices have been arrested in South Africa and they will be extradited to Botswana.  Some of the money was recovered from Modise's house while the other was retrieved from his relatives in South Africa.  The minimum sentence for armed robbery is 10 years in jail.

The Modises, who are out on bail, are represented by Unoda Mack.