The case against alleged insurance killer, Agnes Setshwantsho, has been postponed to 11 and 12 January 2023 for further bail hearings. The 49-year-old who is accused of orchestrating the murders of her relatives for insurance payouts faces a charge of murder, two counts of fraud and one of defeating the ends of justice. She appeared before the Molopo Magistrates Court yesterday where her defence completed its cross examination of the investigating officer, Sergeant Kheshi Mabunda.

STATE WITNESS RECEIVE DEATH THREATS 

The state is expected to re-examine Sergeani Mabunda when the hearing resumes in the new year. North West National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, said the state is also expected to call on its second witness from the correctional facility where the accused is detained. Mamothame said it emerged in court that this witness received death threats from the accused and an investigation is being conducted by the Hawks. Senior state prosecutor, Dalton Tshinyani, told the court that he was informed that a correctional officer from the Department of Correction Services has been receiving threats. The officer is expected to be called to testify in the bail hearing. "There are threats against the witness from the accused and we are going to testify on that. The witness also requested to be given a formal written order to appear before the court, as the threats purportedly came from Setshwantsho," Advocate Tshinyani said. 

POLICE FOLLOWED TIP-OFF FROM RELATIVES

Setshwantsho was arrested last month after an investigation by Mabunda and a team of detectives following a tip-off from relatives of the suspect. In the last bail hearing, Mabunda told the court that more charges might be added as Setshwantsho was now their main suspect in the death of her son Kutlo, who was studying at a University in Cape Town. It's alleged that Setshwantsho went to fetch her son from school in July and bought him a burger at Steers on their way home. "We have the records of her buying two burgers at Steers using her FNB card in Mothibistad. She had fetched Kutlo for the July school holidays," Mabunda told the court. Mabunda also testified that he had the order to exhume Setshwantso's late husband Warrant Officer Justice Setshwantsho who died in 2016. It's alleged that the deceased was not going to work for a year before his death and that the suspect had enquired about his pension payout from the station commander where he worked. "The deceased's colleague Colonel Selepe called to check if he was sick and the accused answered his phone and refused for Selepe to speak to her husband," Mabunda testified. Meanwhile, the accused will remain in police custody pending the outcome of the bail application next year.