A Maun man, who allegedly dragged an 11-year-old girl from her bed, raped her and left her tied to a tree in the bush, has once again applied for bail before the tourist town’s Magistrate Court.
This Tuesday, following the state’s announcement that they are awaiting the results of DNA tests sent to laboratory for analysis in Gaborone, Obamang Tholego, 31, made his second attempt at freedom.
“How am I going to interfere with investigations when I do not even know where the lab is? I am still a suspect yet you have kept me in prison for 35 days now. If it happens that I end up acquitted, what are you going to do about the time I lost in prison when you keep extending my remand warrant? I have not been convicted; I am still a suspect, I deserve to be granted bail,” reiterated an agitated Tholego, becoming increasingly angrier as he spoke.
His mood grew even darker when he learnt would be returning to prison for at least another 14 days, with court to make a ruling on his bail application on 16 November.
As well as the rape charge, the suspected child molester stands accused of giving false information to a public officer on duty as, at the time of his arrest, he allegedly identified himself as his older brother, Thomas Baganaleso.
According to the facts of the case, at around 3am in Maun’s Moeti ward on the morning of Monday 20 September, Tholego stormed into the complainant’s house, calling for her older sister. When he got no response, he barged into the bedroom and found the child sleeping with her siblings.
The suspect reportedly forced the little girl from her bed, allegedly marching the terrified youth a short distance from the house where he proceeded to rape her.
He is then said to have tied her to a tree with a rope before scurrying off into the night.
Tholego was arrested a few hours later, inadvertently handing himself into the cops on a silver platter.
He turned up at the police station seeking protection from an angry mob, who he claimed were baying for his blood over some stolen money.
As fate would have it, at that exact moment the complainant and her family were also at the station reporting the rape.
The child spotted Tholego and immediately identified him as her attacker.
He has remained behind bars ever since, much to his dismay.
