Umbrella for Democratic Change’s Councillor for Matlapana ward in Maun, Kobamelo Baikgodise, is among five men who have been questioned by Maun police over a buffalo poaching incident that reportedly took place in Khwai, about three weeks ago.
Baikgodise has however denied the arrest but said rather that he was summoned to the police station where he was questioned and wrote a statement over the incident which took place during the same weekend when he was in Khwai.
“As you may be well aware that I am friends with the Council Chairman, I had paid him a visit in Khwai during the weekend of the alleged poaching,” Baikgodise explained in a brief interview this week.
The Councillor stated that he had in fact taken the Council Chairman- Kebareeditse Ntsogotlho’s building material to Khwai and only went to the alleged poaching scene after Ntsogotlho’s injury.
“I was not at the scene, I was only alerted of his injury and that is when I went to the scene. I could not even talk to him because it was a bloody scene and he was in serious pain, so I did not even know what exactly happened that led to his injury,” Baikgodise explained.
The alleged poaching incident is still being investigated by the police who took the matter up following social media reports that the North West District Council Chairman, was attacked and injured by the buffalo early this month, during the extreme social distancing and movement lockdown.
Currently Ntsogotlho is hospitalised at Nyangabwe Referal Hospital where he is nursing thigh injuries.
Last week Ntsogotlho was hopeful that he would be released from hospital this week.
When shedding light on the matter, District No.5 police Commanding Officer, Peter Gochela, had stated that they have arrested and questioned some suspects on the matter but could not divulge names as they have not yet been charged.
