malvernmugadzikwa
THREE Beitbridge-based police officers, who could as well be Zimbabwe’s dumbest criminals, thought they could rob their way to riches, but only succeeded to land themselves in the soup.
The trio — Prince Mugove Kuchekenya, Andrew Magwenzi and Edmore Nyamaropa — decided to swap their law-enforcement badges for balaclavas before trying to hijack a luxury SUV at a fuel station.
They had probably watched one too many action movies.
Their plot, however, did not go according to script.
The court heard that on April 17 last year, Timothy Musariranwa of Waterfalls, Harare, left Mandi Lodge, Beitbridge, driving his silver Land Cruiser Prado to Puma Service Station in the town to refuel.
On arrival, he was approached by Nyamaropa, Magwenzi and Kuchekenya, who had an unregistered silver Toyota Corolla.
The gang whipped out their firearms, commandeered the Land Cruiser Prado and sped off.
Their victory lap was, however, short-lived.
CID Vehicle Theft Squad detectives unravelled the not-so-sophisticated crime, recovering the stolen vehicle in Harare and arrested the wannabes.
Their comedy of errors landed them before Harare regional magistrate Mrs Esthere Chivasa.
Led by prosecutor Abigail Chido Gohori, the State’s case was rock solid, proving beyond a shadow of doubt that the three were guilty.
The evidence was so compelling that Mrs Chivasa initially handed the convicts a 10-year jail sentence each.
Considering Kuchekenya’s ill-health, his term was reduced to six years.
For Magwenzi and Nyamaropa, behaving like good boys in the future could shave two years off their sentences, leaving them each with a cozy eight-year stay in the slammer.
What an inglorious end!
Online Reporter