Court to set dates for long-running Williams theft case

GABORONE - A former police officer, David William and his wife, Seonyana William, will on March 23 appear before Broadhurst Magistrate Rowland Cole for the of setting of trial dates.
Asked whether or not they would engage attorneys, David told the court that they have a lawyer who has been representing them since the start of their case a couple of years ago.
He added that they have since stopped their lawyer from attending court sessions because the prosecution has been failing to come to court.
He stated that they would now go back to the lawyer to discuss how to progress with the matter.
The prosecutor, Mr Bafi Nlanda of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had earlier told the court that the state was ready to set trial dates for the matter. Magistrate Cole however, set a mention date where the accused's lawyer will be present for the setting of trial dates.
David and Seonyana are accused of stealing over P1 million from the government between March 2000 and April 2002.
High Court judge Justice Isaac Lesetedi last year ordered that another magistrate be appointed and that the trial be started afresh.
This followed the departure of the trial magistrate Mr Banyatsi Mmekwa to join private practice.
he accused persons had filed an application at the High Court to have their case permanently stayed on grounds that the state had taken too long to prosecute them.
The defence had ,among others, alleged that the then prosecutor, Ms Leatile Dambe had contributed to the delay in prosecuting the case by not attending some court sessions, and that the Registrar of the High Court had delayed appointing another magistrate to continue with the case.
The application was however dismissed on grounds that the defence was also to blame for the delay as at times the defence attorney did not appear in court when he was supposed to.
Justice Lesetedi had also stated that from the court records and an affidavit from the Registrar it was evident that efforts were being made to get the matter moving by either trying to get the trial Magistrate to take up a reappointment to proceed with the trial or to appoint another magistrate to handle the matter.BOPA