$800 bail for R3 million car ‘theft’ cop

Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter

A POLICE officer who allegedly stole an impounded R3 million top-of-the-range car kept at Beitbridge Police Station, was yesterday released by the High Court on $800 bail pending trial.

Sergeant Trust Mawire (35) allegedly stole the car, a silver Range Rover, after lying to a colleague that he had been authorised by his superior to remove the vehicle from the yard.

The vehicle, which had been smuggled into the country from South Africa, was found abandoned near Chicago Village Business Centre on the outskirts of Beitbridge on September 14 last year. 

Mawire allegedly hired a road recovery vehicle to tow the smuggled car out of the police station impound yard after lying to a police officer assigned to guard the car that he had been authorised by the station’s officer-in-charge to release the car. He allegedly took the stolen car to an unknown destination and it was never recovered.

In releasing Mawire, Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese said the criminal justice system would have failed if accused persons were to be indefinitely kept in remand custody pending finalisation of investigations.

“I have no doubt that from the time the applicant was arrested in September 2019, the State has had more than ample time to prepare its case for trial and secure attendance of witnesses. For the State to simply oppose bail because of fear of abscondment without any basis for taking such a position is clearly unacceptable,” said Justice Makonese.

He said the State failed to prove that if released on bail Mawire was likely to abscond

“I am satisfied that the applicant is indeed a suitable candidate for bail given that the State had not placed any facts before the court for the assertion that the applicant is likely to abscond or interfere with it witnesses or evidence if granted bail. For these reasons, the application for bail pending trial is granted in terms of the draft order,” ruled Justice Makonese.

In terms of the draft order, Mawire is supposed to report once a week on Fridays at Chegutu Police Station and to continue residing at the ZRP Camp in Chegutu until the matter is finalised.

He was also ordered not to interfere with State witnesses as part of the bail conditions.-@mashnets.