Northern Cape, John Taolo Cluster Commander, Major General Johan Bean applauded the Investigating officer, Sergeant Moses Kakore including the National Prosecuting Authority and Department of Justice, for ensuring that a 29-year-old Tshupoetsile Tom Moeti Matlhontebe is found guilty and sentenced for murder he committed on July 2016.
The Kuruman Regional Court sentenced the accused to 15-years behind bars, after he was found guilty on Monday, 21 January 2019. The accused killed 56-year-old Aobakwe Dominic Gulekane, a tavern owner in Bankhara on July 2016. On the day of the commission of the crime, the accused bought himself a beer, from the owner of the tavern where he stabbed him to death. He fled the scene after the incident, and he was arrested shortly subsequent to be identified by the eyewitnesses.
The investigating officer, Sergeant Moses Kakore, worked closely with the National Prosecuting Authority, to bring closure into the murder of the tavern owner. At some stage, the case against Tshupoetsile was struck off the roll, due to the unavailability of the witnesses as one of the witness passed away while the case was still before court and another witness had also relocated to Eastern Cape.
However, all these developments around the case did not discourage the Investigating officer to pursue the investigation, as he believed that the accused had a case to answer before court of law. He continued to locate the whereabouts of the witness, until he found him in Port Elizabeth, in Eastern Cape. The case was brought back on the court role for further prosecution.
“The sentenced against Tshupoetsile Moeti shall serve as a deterrent to other would be perpetrators” said Major General Bean.
