Youth accused of stealing from Police boss
A Molepolole youth with a reputation for trouble is regretting his latest alleged act of defiance: breaking into a senior police chief’s office and stealing his laptop.
Although he’s only 20, Loago Motswakhumo is already well-acquainted with the cops, who described the youngster as ‘their regular customer’, known for harassing his mother, stealing her money and escaping from the police cells several times.
Charged with office breaking and theft, the Mokgalo ward resident appeared before Molepolole Magistartes Court on Tuesday, his hands handcuffed behind his back.
Motswakhumo is accused of sneaking into the No 11 District Police Headquarters in the dead of night on Sunday 29 March, breaking into the big boss’s office and slipping away with several items.
According to the police, No 11 District Officer Commanding, Senior Superintendent Kitsiso Lemogang only discovered his office had been burgled when he arrived for duty the following morning.
Finding his room in a mess, with things scattered all over, the top cop realised the intruder had gained entry by breaking the window.
The thief made away with Lemogang’s laptop, valued at P5,000, a Samsung cellphone and a Botswana Police radio pouch and charger.
Confirming the break-in, Molepolole Station Commander Jacob Molapong said the suspect was arrested ‘a few days later’ and detained in Letlhakeng Police holding cells.
“It was discovered that the suspect tried to commit suicide by hanging using a piece of cut blanket. He was then taken to Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital,” added the Station Commander.
Upon his release from hospital, Motswakhumo was arraigned and remanded in custody as per the prosecution’s wish, who warned he might interfere with investigations, as the laptop is still missing.
It is believed the suspect sold it on the streets of Mogoditshane.
Denied bail, the baby-faced Motswakhumo will remain behind bars until his next mention, set for 25 May.
The break-in is the second such incident in Molepolole in the last two years.
On 3 April 2024, Kabelo Skhebo Paul broke into the Molepolole Police armoury and stole an AK47 rifle, two AK47 magazines, a .22 rifle and 60 live rounds of ammunition.
Paul was sentenced to two years in jail plus two strokes of the cane.
When quizzed about the safety of the police office buildings, Superintendent Molapong insisted the armoury was now secure.
“The police on duty normally go around doing patrols. Molepolole is dark; the lights are inside the offices but outside it is dark. Criminals can hide in the dark and monitor our movements but we encourage intensive patrols by our officers. Criminals take advantage of shortage of lights in the village, even during night patrols when we light through the passages in the dark you see people running away,” revealed Molapong.
