A North West woman accused of murdering her relatives to cash in on life insurance policies taken out in their names, has been denied bail.
Agnes Setshwantsho is accused of murdering her niece, Bonolo Modiseemang, and claiming around R3 million from a life cover in Modiseemang’s name. She was arrested in November 2023 on charges of murder, two of fraud and one of defeating the ends of justice.
Setshwantsho appeared in the Molopo Magistrate’s Court on Monday, where the magistrate made the ruling, adding that the accused is considered to be a flight risk.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, they welcome the court’s ruling.
He said the NPA is of the view that Setshwantsho was not a suitable candidate for bail, considering the allegations levelled against her.
“We’ve indicated that investigations are at an advanced stage, which means we are close to completing our investigations to bring the matter to trial. There is a possibility of moving it to a higher court because of the seriousness of the charges,” Mamothame said.
He added the Setshwantsho also faces a charge of fraud, in a separate matter, and the NPA is aware that there is an application of bail in that case later this month.
“We don’t have further details about that case, but we will follow it and see how it affects the current case. As far as the charges in today’s matter, we are confident that we have sufficient evidence and are confident that we will conclude investigations sooner than we thought,” Mamothame added.
Investigating Officer, Sergeant Keshi Mabunda, has indicated that he is further investigating the deaths of Setshwantsho’s husband, Justice Setshwantso and children. Setshwantsho’s in-laws believe the exhumation of Justice’s body will help answer questions around his death. The State is also looking at the causes of death for Setshwantsho’s daughters, Utlwile and Onalenna, and son, Kutlo.
IOL