Taxi murder case: bail application postponed again

MOKOPANE - The bail application for the two suspects in the Sello Gideon Fatana murder case at the Mokopane Magistrate court on Monday has been postponed for a second time.
The 45-year old Charles Mogale and Thabo Alfred Matlaila (30) are still held in custody and are expected to appear on 13 July for their bail proceedings.
Tension continued to mount as testimonies were heard about the three suspects accused of murdering Fatana at his home in Mokopane earlier this year.
The state’s witness, Col. William Ramogobedi, the principal investigation officer in the case, was called to the stand to brief the court about his investigation and more specifically to convince the court why he is opposing Mogale and Matlaila’s bail application.
Ramogobedi told the court that he came across information relating to Fatana’s
murder. He detailed the alleged premeditated and planned crime.
The investigation officer’s testimony concluded in stating that Desmond Machaba (suspect number three), confessed to hiring Mogale and Matlaila to kill Fatana. One day after the killing, Ramogobedi testified, Machaba also confessed to handing over R40 000 to Matlaila as payment for getting the job done.
Ramogobedi’s cited his concern for the general public's safety in his attempt to convince the court not to grant bail to the applicants.
He also said the accused might evade trial by fleeing to a neighbouring country with or without passports knowing that they face a life sentence if they are found guilty of a schedule six offense. Another concern is that state witnesses are at risk of being initimidated should the accused be granted bail.
The bail application was not finalised. Magistrate Joseph Ngoasheng postponed the bail application to proceed on 13 July.
In the meanwhile, the police reports that Desmond Machaba and his co-accused, Samuel Matjila and Patric Sekhu, who were denied bail by the Mokopane magistrate in the Charles Mgidi murder case, arranged for their legal representative to appeal the court’s decision on their
behalf in the Polokwane High Court.