The Botswana Police Service (BPS) in partnership with Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) recently held a workshop for police prosecutors in Gaborone and surrounding areas.

Officially opening the workshop, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Keabetswe Makgophe said that its aim is to equip police prosecutors with skills that will aid them to be more effective in their work.

Mr Makgophe said that the workshop was necessitated in part by concerns raised against prosecutors by members of the public. He said that some of the complaints include failure to follow court procedures, failure to oppose bail applications, tardiness in courts and general lack of preparedness.

The Commissioner of Police however expressed hope that the workshop will help the participants to address these complaints. He urged them to go and put to use the skills they have acquired during the workshop.

For his part, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Leonard Sechele implored police officers to do thorough investigations in their cases saying that shoddy investigations often lead to weak prosecutions.

Mr Sechele further encouraged continued collaboration between the BPS and DPP as such partnership is vital in ensuring that justice prevails.

The two-day workshop will cover among others rules of evidence, trial, bail and administrative hearing procedures. It will also equip presiding officers on how to conduct disciplinary cases. Similar workshops were held in Jwaneng and Francistown for prosecutors in the southern and northern part of the country respectively.