Temperatures heated up on two suspected air-con thieves this Tuesday, hauled before Francistown Magistrates Court after their alleged web of crimes were blown apart by the cops.
The duo, Ian Moseki, 47, and Never Musitheli, 43, are said to have repeatedly targeted Ngilichi Towers in Ghetto’s Industrial location, stealing 15 air conditioners from the storeroom in a sticky-fingered spree that ran from last October to this May.
The loot is believed to be worth P174, 000, with the police only able to recover six air-cons so far, finding them mounted in houses where the suspects had sold them.
Although he has two other cases of theft to answer for, speaking in spluttering Kalanga, Musitheli begged to be set free, telling court he was not feeling well.
“My spinal cord is very painful and yesterday I slept on the floor at prison since it is fully packed. I plead that I be allowed to wait for trial outside court because I am not well at all,” he said, wincing in agony as if to illustrate his point.
Musitheli further admitted he was taken to the clinic the previous day but ‘forgot’ to tell the nurse his ribs were bothering him.
“I beg to be taken back to clinic so they can attend to me,” sobbed the suspect, who was only arrested on 14 June at Monarch location
His hopes of freedom were dashed, however, when the Investigating Officer (IO), Basupi Kgakololo revealed this was not his first brush with the law.
“He has another robbery case before the other court in which he has been absconding court and his bail was revoked on Monday. So, he is not a bail candidate. Some of the offences he committed them whilst on bail,” explained the Detective Constable, who successfully secured both men’s remand.
Before Musitheli could be whisked off to prison, he swapped courtrooms, facing yet another charge of theft.
In the latest case, he is accused of stealing a television from Curves Gym on 10 June.
Moseki and Musitheli are due back in court on 5 July.