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Masvingo Bureau
A senior police officer based in Beitbridge has been arrested at a roadblock along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway after he was allegedly found in possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition in his car.Abel Mudzonga (41), an inspector who is the officer-in-charge at the Information Communication Technology section at Beitbridge District Police Headquarters, appeared before a Mwenezi magistrate facing charges of illegal possession of an unlicensed firearm. He is also charged with unlawful possession of ammunition as the SN Browning pistol hidden in his car was allegedly loaded with two rounds of ammunition.
Mudzonga’s arrest comes in the wake of an increase in armed robbery cases involving pistols in Mwenezi district. Provincial magistrate Mr Timeon Makunde last Thursday remanded Mudzonga — who denied both charges — in custody to January 16.
Mr Makunde blocked Mudzonga’s bail after ruling that police’s ballistics section should first investigate the origins of the pistol and ammunition in the cop’s possession.
On January 2 Mudzonga was driving his station wagon towards Beitbridge on his way from Kwekwe, allegedly with a loaded pistol hidden in his car. He was allegedly stopped by police officers manning a roadblock at the 148km peg in Mwenezi who proceeded to search the vehicle.
The policemen allegedly found an SN Browning pistol and two rounds of ammunition. Mudzonga allegedly claimed that he was on his way to surrender the pistol and ammunition to police, saying the weapon was left behind by one Bigboy Stauze in 2004 when he left for the United Kingdom.
He allegedly failed to satisfactorily explain why he had failed to surrender the pistol and ammunition since then, leading to his arrest.
Mr Zibusiso Mnkandla prosecuted.
Online Reporter