adminElizabeth Tsuro Midlands Reporter
A 27- year old kombi driver from Gokwe has been sentenced to six years in jail for stealing a police officer’s vehicle that he later sold. Erick Chinyaure from Gandiwa Village under Chief Nemangwe pleaded guilty to car theft before Kwekwe-Gokwe regional Magistrate Amos Mbobo. Chinyaure will however serve an effective four years in prison after two years were suspended for five years on conditions of good behaviour.
Prosecuting, Robert Ndlala told the court that on June 11, 2014, Chinyaure approached Johnson Ndabambi, a Gokwe based police officer, who had recently imported a Mazda vehicle worth $7,000.
He told the cop that he would use the vehicle to carry passengers for a fee. The court heard that Ndabambi knew Chinyaure as a public service transport driver in Gokwe hence he agreed to the arrangement.
“Instead of adhering to what they had agreed, Chinyaure went to Norton with the vehicle the same day he received it and never returned or call Ndabambi advising him of his whereabouts,” said Ndlala.
He later sold the vehicle to one Liberty Mbofana in Norton. Ndlala said on July 2, 2014, Ndabambi realised that he had been duped and reported the matter to the police. Chinyaure was arrested in Harare leading to the recovery of the vehicle.
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