Picture: The accused, Agnes Setswaro/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
A woman who was arrested after being accused of killing her relatives to cash in from insurance claims, Agnes Setswantsho (49), has been remanded in custody. Setswantsho briefly appeared at the Molopo Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson, Henry Mamothame said, Setswantsho is facing a charge of murder, two of fraud and one of defeating the ends of justice.
“An intelligence operation led to the arrest of the accused on suspicion that, she murdered her relatives to benefit from insurance claims. The accused was traced and arrested in Centurion during a takedown operation led by the SAPS in collaboration and full cooperation with an insurance company.
“The SAPS further reported that, in the past two months, Sergeant Keshi Mabunda and a team of detectives. have been working on the case following a tip-off from relatives of this suspect. Through analysis and collection of evidence including the exhumation of a body, the team was able to link the accused to the team’s first focus of the case,” he said.
Mamothame added that the police report showed the murder was initially ruled a “natural death”, where a female relative died under mysterious circumstances in Mmabatho, North West in March 2023.
He said the investigations have revealed that Setswaro fraudulently took out insurance on behalf of her relative before her murder. Mamothame said the police are conducting further investigations, with the possibility of adding more charges against the accused.
Meanwhile, the case was postponed to 24 November 2023 for a formal bail application.
The Guardian 