Rundu
Three men from Gaborone in Botswana were sentenced to three years in prison for breaking and entering and stealing cash from Metro Wholesaler in Rundu.
“They cut the roof and used unknown explosives to gain access to the safes but only managed to open one of the three safes, which contained N$5 100. They took N$4 900 but left a N$200 note on the scene,” said Detective Chief Inspector Chrispin Mubebo of the police in Kavango East Region.
The trio – two of them taxi drivers and a petrol jockey, all working and living in Botswana – appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court a week ago on charges of housebreaking with intent to steal and theft.
They broke into Metro Wholesaler in Rundu on May 23 and were arrested at the border as they were trying to flee the following day.
According to Mubebo, the three were arrested at Ngoma border post.
“We followed their trail from the scene of the crime to where they were lodging in Kehemu and when we reached there they had already left. So we arranged for our members to arrest them at the border,” Mubebo said.
The three, Beleme Motlhabane 36 – a taxi driver; Ofhitlhile Mahudiri, 36, also a taxi driver, and Maswabi Omphile Ricardo Ernest Gabs, 26, a petrol attendant – all are Batswana.
They pleaded guilty but claimed they did not use explosives to gain entrance as well as access to the money they stole. They also claimed that they did not cut the roof to enter the building but broke through the door.
“They said they were in Rundu for a short stay and according to them their money got finished and they decided to steal some to go back to their country,” said prosecutor Esther Jafet.
The trio got three years each for housebreaking with intent to steal and theft and appeared before magistrate Barry Mufana.
The trial was unusually swift