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Brenda Zinyuke, Court Reporter
THREE men from Bulawayo have been arrested for allegedly breaking into a company premises and stealing property worth US$80 000.
Faustino Magaya (35), Philani Sibanda (38) and Cosmos Ndlovu (44) allegedly broke into Primeton Enterprise in Kelvin West in Bulawayo represented by Mr Kudzai Mumvuri (56) who is the managing director.
Magaya and his accomplices allegedly stole copper cables, copper rods, copper bars, capacitor power banks, heat exchangers, water cooling copper pipes, switch gears and electrical cabinets.
The trio pleaded not guilty to unlawful entry into premises and theft when they appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Shepherd Munjanja.
The magistrate remanded Sibanda and Ndlovu out of custody on $100 bail each to November 11 while Magaya was remanded out of custody on $300 bail to the same date.
Magaya was issued with a warrant of arrest for defaulting court.
Prosecuting, Mr Nathan Marime said Magaya and his accomplices went to Mr Mumvuri’s premises while he was away.
“The accused persons gained entry into the premises using unknown means where they vandalised the plant furnace and stole,” he said.
On August 26, Mr Mumvuri received communication from his caretaker that there had been a break-in into his premises.
“The complainant reported the matter to police at Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)Western Commonage who attended the scene and recovered some square copper pipe,” he said.
On the same day, police officers from ZRP Pumula received information that Magaya was in possession of an electric motor and square copper pipe weighing 14.5 kilogrammes.
The pipe was matching the one that had been recovered at the crime scene.
He was taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit where he implicated Sibanda and revealed that they had sold the copper pipes to Ndlovu.
This led to the arrest of the three men. – @zinyuke98
Online Reporter