Police detective, accomplice acquitted in vehicle theft case

A DETECTIVE police officer and his accomplice, accused of conspiring to steal an impounded vehicle from a police yard, breathed a sigh of relief after they were acquitted of theft of a motor vehicle.

Master Genti (39), a detective in the CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna Section, and his co-accused Richard Phiri (56) appeared on Tuesday before Bulawayo magistrate, Mr Mathew Mutiro, for sentencing.

Mr Mutiro acquitted them, stating that the State, represented by Mr Owen Mugari, failed to prove that the pair intended to steal the vehicle. The magistrate also stated that the State failed to prove that the vehicle was driven out of the Drill Hall yard and that there was no proof that it was towed away.

“To conclude that Mr Phiri intended to take the impounded car is just a mere assumption because he came to the Drill Hall at the invitation of his friend and there is no proof that they planned to steal the car,” he said.

Phiri was represented by his lawyer, Mr Goodluck Katenaire, while Detective Genti was self-represented.

Prosecuting, Mr Mugari told the court that the matter arose from Phiri’s arrest on 18 December 2025 for prospecting for gold without a licence.

Following his arrest, his vehicle — a Toyota Hilux — was impounded and stored at Drill Hall Police Station as an exhibit.

The court heard that on Christmas Eve, the two allegedly hatched a plan to unlawfully remove the vehicle from police custody.

“On the night in question, the accused persons proceeded to the CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna offices in Bulawayo. At around 9 PM, they used duplicate keys to start the engine of the impounded Toyota Hilux and reversed it out of the yard with the vehicle’s lights switched off,” said Mr Mugari.
However, their plan was thwarted when an alert detective on duty spotted the vehicle being driven away and confronted the accused, demanding an explanation.

“They failed to give a satisfactory response as to why an impounded vehicle was being driven out of the police yard,” said the prosecutor.