Arson suspect walks free amid slow investigation.

Arson accused Bafo Legobo finally walked out of remand this Tuesday after the Gaborone High Court granted him bail, following eight months behind bars with investigators still unable to link him to the burning of Mmathubudukwane Police Station.

Justice Phuthego released Legobo on free bail, ordering him to appear in court whenever required while police continue with investigations. The ruling comes after a long contest in which Legobo repeatedly questioned the pace of the probe and accused investigators of holding him without progress.

The 38‑year‑old was arrested in May this year, days after the Mmathubudukwane Police Station was gutted by fire — a crime that shocked the public and left key policing services slightly disrupted in the village. Since then, Legobo has maintained his innocence, insisting the State has nothing concrete against him.

In earlier court appearances, Legobo protested that the Botswana Police had failed to submit investigation updates, despite an order issued on 16 October. He argued that being kept in custody with no reports amounts to punishment without trial.

In seeking bail, Legobo also challenged demands for his DNA and fingerprints, claiming that investigators wanted to “use the samples to forcefully place” him at the crime scene. He told both the Magistrates’ Court and the High Court that he would not hand over his blood under unclear circumstances.

Detective Superintendent Chandapiwa Mabangu previously told the court that DNA material was needed to move the case forward, adding that only a Fire Department report had been completed so

far. She admitted that the investigation remains at “initial stages,” something that infuriated Legobo, who argued that even homicide cases do not take this long to produce results.

Justice Phuthego questioned why the State had not progressed, noting that continued detention without a breakthrough was becoming unjustifiable. With no solid objection from the prosecution this time, the judge allowed the bail request.

The State has maintained that Legobo remains a suspect and that the case will stay on the roll while investigators continue collecting evidence and the prosecution waits for DNA samples.