Suspected wife-killer freed – but told to leave Kopong
The man accused of plotting his wife’s grisly murder in Kopong back in July 2022 has once again been granted bail.
Outlwile Aston, 51, will await trail a free man, provided he moves far away from Kopong, where the brutal killing occurred and where he has been living next door to two of his children since the start of the year.
Granting Aston his freedom on Monday, Lobatse High Court Judge, Justice Boipuso Makhwe noted Aston’s presence in the village was not fair on his grieving offspring.
“It is a painful thing to lose a parent, but even worse when as a child, you are forced to see the person who is alleged to have killed your mother; therefore he should not be anywhere near the children,” ruled Makhwe.
The Judge’s ruling came after it emerged Aston was staying at his house in Kopong, next door to the house where his children live – the very same home in which the murder took place!
This was the only new restriction imposed on the suspected killer, with the other bail conditions remaining the same.
“The accused is admitted to P5, 000 bail, shall provide citizen sureties each binding with P2, 000, shall report to Mogoditshane CID every month, shall not interfere with witnesses, and shall not reside in Kopong. If the accused breaches any of these conditions he shall have his bal revoked,” warned Judge Makwhe, adding Aston will still have access to his four children through Social Welfare officers appointed by Court.
Arguing against the eviction, Aston’s attorney, Dr Obonye Jonas pointed out the ‘children’ in question were in fact two grown men aged 28 and 19, while the two minor siblings were staying elsewhere with relatives.
“If there is anybody who must move out, it is the one who does not have a house and in this case it is the children,” he insisted, noting the house jointly belongs to Aston and his deceased wife, Barulaganye Aston.
Jonas further explained his client only returned to Kopong in December 2024, forced to retrace his steps from Mogoditshane as he could no longer afford to pay rent due to lack of income.
“In all that time, he has never threatened his children,” added the lawman in vain.
Aston and three others: Lefty Kosie, Kebaleboge Ntsebe (a traditional doctor) and Oageng Letsholo (a suspected hitman) stand accused of killing Barulaganye Aston, a Kopong teacher who was butchered, and her body parts allegedly harvested.
The State has indicated that it intends to call 29 witnesses. Trial dates are yet to be confirmed and a Judge still to be appointed.
Meanwhile, Kosie, 50, mistakenly landed at Lobatse High Court as well, before being transported back to Gaborone where he made an application for bail before Justice Onkemetse Tshosa.
