adminLeonard Ncube Senior Court Reporter
A 27-YEAR-OLD man from Nketa suburb has been charged with deliberately supplying police with false information after he got too drunk and forgot where he had parked his car, before reporting it as having been stolen. Fortune Mlala of Nketa 7 told the court that he was under immense stress and could not recall what he was doing after failing to locate his vehicle.
He went on a drinking spree at Hustlers Nite Club in Bulawayo’s Central Business District on a Saturday night last week and could not remember where he had parked his car, a Datsun LDV, when he wanted to go home at about 3AM.
Mlala, a sales agent with Clarion Insurance parked his car along Samuel Parirenyatwa Street between 11th and 12th Avenues and thought he had parked it along Fife Street near Spar Supermarket.
The court was told that he was convinced that his car had been stolen and reported the case to the police. He made a report at Tshabalala Police Station and a docket for theft of a motor vehicle was opened, only for detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department Vehicle Theft Squad to recover it the following morning where he had parked it.
“On May 31 at about 10PM the accused parked his car along Samuel Parirenyatwa Street and closed doors and windows as he went to Hustlers Nite Club. At about 3AM, he wanted to go home but had forgotten where he parked the vehicle and he went to Tshabalala Police Station which is closer to where he stays and reported that his car had been stolen,” said Denmore Kasenza prosecuting yesterday.
He said detectives found the car where he had parked it, still intact, leading to his arrest.
Mlala told magistrate Sibongile Msipa that he drank a lot on the day because he was stressed as a result of his wedding plans which were not shaping out well.
“I was too drunk and forgot where I had parked my car because I was so stressed. I am supposed to wed in September and people are pulling out. I do not usually drink but had to go there because of stress.”
Msipa fined Mlala $100, or in default 30 days in jail.
derick.khumalo