CHITUNGWIZA – A man who escaped from police custody by leaping out of a moving car has been found guilty and given a five month prison sentence.
He was initially arrested for stealing a compressor at Chikwanha Shopping centre worth $150.
Chireka denied theft charges, insisting he had bought the compressor from an unidentified man. He admitted to have escaped from police custody when his trial opened before Chitungwiza magistrate Toindepi Zhou.
Chireka told the court that he escaped from custody in a bid to prove his innocence by finding the person who sold the compressor to him. – Staff reporter
Miners acquitted
GWANDA – Three Shining Stars Mine employees who were facing charges of assault and theft were yesterday found not guilty and acquitted.
The three had been in custody since their arrest on June 1 as the State deemed them flight risk.
Gift Mpofu, Taurai Tshuma and Effort Shoko denied assault and robbery charges when they appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Jimmy Ntonga. They were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
On May 10 Tshumani Mlilo was drinking beer at a bar in the town where Mpofu, Tshuma and Shoko were also revellers. Allegations were that Mlilo left the drinking spot with his friend Freeman Mlilo and two women whose identities were not given in court. On their way they allegedly saw the three mine workers seated on a small bridge.
The three approached Tshumani and his colleagues and one of the accused snatched a beer bottle from Tshumani and struck him on the head. The complainant fell unconscious and the three allegedly searched his pockets and stole $300.
On June 1, the three were arrested after Freeman identified them in the town and reported the matter to the police.
In his defence, Mpofu said on the day the incident happened he was on leave and was in Gweru and only returned to Gwanda on May 24.Tshuma said he was in Tsholotsho from April 18 until May 20. The third accused person, Shoko, said at he was at work at the mine when the robbery allegedly occurred. – Talent Bhachi
Gold conman arrested
GWERU – Police have arrested a 24-year-old man believed to be behind a series of fraud cases.
To date four cases have been opened against the accused, Elson Ncube of Mkoba 19. Ncube admitted all the charges.
Ncube sold Agness Mupatsi a piece of stone that he told her was pure gold. Mupatsi paid $3 000 for it before Ncube disappeared, only to discover later on that she had been conned.
Ncube then defrauded another victim, Patience Ncube, a mobile phone dealer of recharge cards and her personal Nokia phone at Amtech complex in 1st Street. He did the same again on another complainant on the same area.
It is further alleged that on August 6, Ncube approached Jane Soro at a local supermarket where he conned her of all the groceries she had bought on the pretext of helping her enter into a deal. – Brenna Matendere
Kombi driver rapes minor
GWERU – A local commuter omnibus driver has been brought before the courts facing charges of kidnapping and raping a minor.
Justice Ezra (28) of Mkoba was not asked to plead when he briefly stood before magistrate Mildred Mutuvi who postponed the case to next week.
Allegations levelled against him are that on July 9, he found the complainant (name withheld) standing on Sixth Street. He then allegedly enticed the girl and drove her to his place of residence where she was held for a night.
The following day the accused forced sexual intercourse on the minor. She managed to escape and was spotted by police who were on the lookout after her parents had reported her missing.
The traumatised girl narrated the whole ordeal to her father leading to the arrest of the commuter omnibus driver. – Brenna Matendere
Fake note lands man in trouble
CHITUNGWIZA – A local man who tried to buy a loaf of bread and some eggs using a fake $10 note will spend the next 30 days in prison.
Innocent Mavhiki (24) of Unit C was convicted on his own plea when he appeared before Chitungwiza magistrate Toindepi Zhou.
He was being charged of possession of Articles of Criminal Use. Agreed facts were that on July 22, at around 7pm, Mavhiki went to a tuck shop owned by Pamela Magadzire (39).
He withdrew the fake $10 intending to buy a loaf of bread and some eggs. Before she could hand over the items, she asked Mavhiki why he had produced a fake note. Mavhiki attempted to snatch the note, which got torn in two.
The court heard Mavhiki ran away while Magadzire went on to file a report to the police.
The fake note was taken to CBZ Makoni Branch where it was further verified that it was not genuine. – Talent Bhachi
Post published in: News