Mutodi fined $150 over firearm

Fungai Jachi Court Reporter
Businessman and musician Energy Mutodi (37) was yesterday fined US$150 or 30 days in prison after he was found guilty of failing to secure his gun that he left in his parked car in the city recently.

Mutodi appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Rumbidzai Mugwagwa charged with failure to secure a firearm as defined in the Firearms Act.

In passing the verdict, Ms Mugwagwa indicated that she had considered that Mutodi was a first offender and a non-custodial sentence was appropriate in this matter.

However, she cautioned him to be careful with his gun as negligence would put people at risk.

Prosecutor Ms Francisca Mukumbiri alleged that on January 5 at the corner of Fifth Street and Baines Avenue, Mutodi left his car and proceeded to another car where he opened the door and placed a CZ pistol (serial number 0927C) on the dashboard.

The court heard that he locked the parked car, leaving the pistol inside and drove off in another vehicle.

It is alleged that this spectacle happened in the sight of a police officer who rushed to Harare Central Police Station and reported the matter after which the officer brought two more officers with him.

The court was told that the three police officers saw one Solomon Sinos standing by the car in which Mutodi had left the pistol and asked him to call Mutodi, which he did.

The court heard that when Mutodi arrived, he unlocked the car and the pistol was confiscated by the police.