Botswana police shoot fleeing illegal immigrant

06 February, 2010 01:19:00 The Voice Bw

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Dukwi Police have seized a shotgun that was allegedly used to shoot and injure an illegal migrant who tried to elude a police raid at Kutamogore village.

Although no case was opened shortly after the crime was committed, the gun that was allegedly used during the shooting was later confiscated and an investigation launched when the Zimbabwe-born Dilen Moyo’s girlfriend complained about the shooting to the station commander.

The injured man’s girlfriend, Nthaliwa-Moilwa Chilayi, said although the shooting allegedly occurred during the presence of the police, no investigation was done until she complained to the station commander.

“It all happened right in front of the police’s eyes but the man behind the shooting was never arrested or questioned for the unlawful act. What baffles me most is the fact that all the four officers who where at scene claim that they heard no gunshot,” Moilwa-Chilayi said accusing the police of incompetence and corruption.

She said on the fateful night, a group of locals and four police officers came to her house and demanded to search for stolen meat. “Since my boyfriend is an illegal migrant who is still in the process of fixing his permits, he bolted when seeing the police in the yard. But before he could get away I heard a gunshot, and a few minutes later, I saw the police dragging Moyo towards us in front of the house. He was now bleeding from the mouth and he told us that he was injured by a gunshot,” the woman said explaining that even the culprit joined the crowd still holding his weapon.

What surprised Moilwa-Chilayi was to see the police ignoring the gun, and the offence committed and inspecting the man’s injuries before loading him in their van. When she went to check Moyo at Dukwi police, she was shocked to hear the police saying they knew nothing about the shooting. She said all what the police handling the case knew was that Moyo tripped and injured himself when trying to flee.

“I asked for the station commander where I explained about the shooting and after listening to my story, he promised to open an investigation,” Moilwa-Chilayi said adding that apart from later charging her with a case of abetting and keeping an illegal immigrant, nothing much had been done so far, in relation to the shooting.

Dukwi Police Station Commander, Fredrick Magudu, confirmed that police have seized a shotgun which was allegedly used without care. He revealed that police were investigating the matter.

“We opened a case after an illegal immigrant’s girlfriend reported an incident of shooting, but none of the people who were at the scene admits to hearing the firing. Although we seized the gun, we never detained the suspect because there was not enough evidence to charge him,” Magudu explained to The Voice.

He said a report from a doctor has ruled out the association of the injuries on Moyo’s mouth to that of a gunshot. He also pointed out that Moyo was tried and convicted for staying in the country illegally, and was later handed over to the department of immigration for deportation.

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