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Peter Matika, Senior Reporter
A POLICE trio that was arrested after being found with an assortment of weapons appeared in court and were denied bail to allow for investigations to be carried out without their interference.
They were remanded in custody to 6 April for continuation of trial. The three police officers, one of them a senior cop were arrested a fortnight ago, after they were found with 15 different types of guns, more than 180 live rounds of ammunition and an assortment of weaponry, which was not accounted for by the force.
David Fugao, whose age was not given but is the Officer-in-Charge at the Matabeleland North Provincial Armoury (in Bulawayo), Wonder Tawanda Karamba (33), Francis Chaterera (39), who are both stationed at the armoury initially appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Jechonia Ncube, on 22 March this year to answer to the charge.
According to the State, led by prosecutor Mr Leonard Tshile, detectives from the Homicide Section received information that there were suspicious movements of firearms at the armoury. The court heard that the detectives, through investigations, found out that some members of the force were removing firearms that are subject to a handover-takeover from the armoury to a backyard room.
The discovery followed the arrest of Fugao, after he was implicated by a suspected armed robber, Ame Mpala, who was arrested with an AK-47 rifle along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road. When detectives arrived at the armoury they requested that it be opened and a search was conducted in the presence of Karamba and Chaterera.
It was discovered after the search that there were several firearms that had been stored in the armoury that did not match those recorded in official documents. Some of the guns listed included 22 Birmingham Sport Company rifle, 12 Bore Winchester shotgun, 22 Bruno rifle, 22 Mauser long rifle, 303 Era rifle, 22 Kregskorte rifle, 22 Winchester rifle and 22 revolver. They were also found with more than 185 different kinds of live ammunition.
It was established that the two had allegedly been receiving firearms for repairs at the station workshop, which is not consistent with their duties leading to their arrest. On the same day at around 7pm detectives received a tip-off informing them that there was a suspicious package that had been stashed at a house in Thorngrove. Upon searching the house they found an assortment of weapons and ammunition.
Some of the weapons found at the house included a Noringo pistol, Vsor Pistol, FN pistol, Special Renato gamba revolver, 22 Astra revolver, 6,35mm Berreta pistol and 6,35mm automatic pistol.
The detectives are reported to have interrogated the owner of the house, Delighted Chingoyori who revealed that Karamba had left a parcel containing the firearms at her house, stating that she had given him the keys to the garage where the parcel was for safe keeping. Karamba is said to have admitted to owning that assortment of artillery.
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