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Maun man tracked down in Mahalapye
A threat-to-kill suspect accused of jumping out the back of a police van in the middle of Maun and sprinting to freedom, is back in custody after a month-and-a-half on the run.
27-year-old Canan Batshabeng was arrested in Mahalapye earlier this week, some 650km south of where he escaped.
The cops have been looking for the Maun man since 22 April, when, while being transported back to prison following a court appearance, he managed to get loose of his shackles and slip away from the police as the van dawdled in traffic.
Back in court this Tuesday, considering his recent escapades, Batshabeng was unsurprisingly denied bail
Successfully requesting the suspect remains behind bars for now, Prosecutor Mmoloki Boshati said, “He was arraigned on 22nd April, when the Investigating Officer took the stand to oppose his bail. He escaped from custody the same day before he could be handed to Maun state prison. He failed to appear in court on 6th May and 3rd June, fortunately he was arrested in Mahalapye.”
Boshati further revealed investigations into the case against Batshabeng, in which he is accused of threatening to kill his 71-year-old grandmother, were still on-going.
His brush with the law dates back to 17 April, when he allegedly promised to end his elderly relative, Nkgomotsang Mathula’s life, after she upset him by calling for a baby-sitter to look after his one-year-old niece even though he was there to care for the child.
“I will kill you grandmother. Why did you call people telling them that the child is crying whilst I am with him?” is the tirade that landed Batshabeng in hot soup.
Given the chance to address court, the young man, who has another threat-to-kill case involving his grandmother that is set to be registered in court, maintained he did not escape from custody but was rather set free by the police.
“They are not being honest when they say I escaped because I did not, they released me and instructed me to stay out of contact with the complainant. I told them that I am not coping in Mahalapye and they suggested that I come back to Maun and stay where no one can see me,” insisted Batshabeng, who is due back in court on 21 June for status update.
