Online Reporter
Lesley Chikudo, chikudolesle[email protected]
TWO suspected scrap metal dealers who were found with 289 kilogrammes of copper scrap worth about US$6 000 have appeared in court on Wednesday, facing charges of illegal possession of copper.
Claudious Rusere (43) from Hwange and Zvikomborero Nyabonde (46) from Victoria Falls, pleaded not guilty before Western Commonage regional magistrate, Mrs Sibongile Marondedze.
They were remanded to Monday on US$100 bail each.
Prosecuting, Mr Milton Moyo said on February 10 at around 4 AM, police detectives were on patrol when they found the duo parked outside Dairibord Zimbabwe premises in the Kelvin West industrial area in Bulawayo.
The detectives identified themselves and requested to search their vehicle as well as check the luggage in the truck.
“On searching the car, the detectives recovered nine bags loaded with scrap copper concealed under a concrete mixer, which was part of the scrap materials loaded in the loading box,” said Mr Moyo.
On being quizzed, Rusere and Nyabonde failed to produce a permit authorising them to possess or deal in copper, leading to their arrest and subsequent seizure of the scrap copper and car.
The value of the recovered copper is US$5 960.
One of the detectives who testified in court stated that instead of producing a copper clearance certificate, the two accused produced a scrap clearance certificate.
“As we were inquiring how they acquired the copper cables, they showed us a certificate authorising them to deal in scrap metal.
“They were unable to provide a reasonable explanation,” he said.
In their defence, the two claimed that they had acquired the copper cables from a company in Hwange, which had sold the consignment under the guise of scrap metal.
derick.khumalo