Mobile tracker sells out cellphone thief

Mashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
A CELLPHONE with a tracking system sold out a thief who thought he had hit the jackpot when he broke into the Apostolic Faith Church of Zimbabwe (AFMZ) offices in Bulawayo and stole the phone and more than $2,700 in cash, a magistrate heard. Bulawayo magistrate Charity Maphosa heard this when Timothy Mano, 45, of Pumula South appeared before her facing charges of unlawful entry and theft.
Mano pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded in custody to Friday for continuation of trial.

Prosecuting, Kudakwashe Jaravaza told how on August 19 shortly after 5PM Moline Pasi, an AFMZ office administrator, locked her offices situated along Josiah Tongogara Street and knocked off.

The State alleged that Mano then went to the premises and destroyed a wooden panel to gain entry into the offices.
“Soon after gaining entry, Mano opened a lockable wooden cabinet and stole $2,595, R2,000 and a Karbonn cellphone with a mobile tracker,” said Jaravaza.
The following morning when Pasi reported for work, she discovered that her office had been broken into and alerted her superiors.

The court heard that on that same day, the mobile tracker reported on Pasi’s husband’s cellphone indicating that a Telecel simcard had been put on the stolen cellphone. A police report was made and investigations were carried out leading to Mano’s arrest.

In defence, Mano said he bought the cellphone from Lawrence Muchinda, a flea market trader at Unity Village market.
“I did not steal the cellphone. In fact, I bought it from Lawrence Muchinda at Unity Village and gave it to my brother’s wife so that she could use it since she had lost hers. I was therefore, surprised when police came and arrested me before they took me to Mzilikazi Police Station,” he argued.

Muchinda who also testified in court denied having sold the cellphone to Mano.
“The accused is lying. I was in Filabusi attending a week-long camp meeting on that particular day hence there is no way I could have sold him that cellphone. I don’t deal in cellphones, my business is strictly selling clothes and what the accused is saying is not true,” he told the court.