Chronicle Editor
Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
A senior police officer in Gweru, a Kwekwe magistrate and prosecutor have been arrested for allegedly facilitating the illegal release of three luxury vehicles one of which is suspected to have been stolen.
Two of the vehicles, a Mercedes Benz and a Toyota Hilux Raider belong to Kwekwe businessman Mr Shepherd Tundiya.
Mr Tundiya was in the spotlight last year when he was acquitted of allegedly coercing the director of JR Goddard Contracting (Pvt) Ltd Mr James Goddard to withdraw a criminal abuse of office report he made against four members of the National Assembly. Harare magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube ruled that there was no evidence to prove the charges against Mr Tundiya.
The third vehicle, a Toyota Hilux, belonged to Mr John Mapurazi.
Gweru Officer-in-Charge Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Detective Inspector Leonard Gwandu was arrested on Friday last week.
National Police Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests on Saturday of magistrate Story Rushambwa and prosecutor Brito Mpiyabo for abuse of duty as public officers.
Rushambwa and Mpiyabo allegedly fraudulently granted a spoliation order to Mr Tundiya and Mr Mapurazi to have their impounded vehicles released by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
“I can confirm that a Kwekwe magistrate and a prosecutor were arrested on Saturday on allegations of abuse of duty as public officers. It is suspected that Mr Tundiya had not paid duty for his Mercedes Benz while Mr Mapurazi had failed to comply with Zimra,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said Rushambwa and Mpiyabo were in police custody assisting with investigations and would appear in court soon.
Mr Tundiya allegedly bought his Mercedes Benz from a dealer, Mr Tineyi Munyengeterwa, with Local registration numbers in 2014.
He later discovered that the vehicle had been imported from South Africa when he sought to change ownership.
It also emerged that duty had not been paid for the vehicle.
Gwandu was arrested for criminal abuse of office after he allegedly released Mr Tundiya’s Toyota Hilux Raider that is suspected to have been stolen from South Africa without following due process.
Gwandu appeared before Gweru Magistrate Tavengwa Sangster on Saturday facing criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.
He was remanded to 17 January on ZWL$1000 bail.
It is the State’s case that Gwandu unprocedurally released the vehicle to Mr Tundiya while investigations were still underway.
The court heard that Mr Tundiya was arrested in October for allegedly driving a stolen vehicle which did not have registration numbers.
The vehicle was taken to CID Gweru where the accused is the Officer-in-Charge.
It is alleged that the accused and other junior police officers checked the vehicle in the Interpol database.
The database showed that the vehicle might have been stolen from a Mr Thomas Blom in South Africa.
Mr Tundiya was subsequently charged with theft of motor vehicle.
However, Mr Tundiya was acquitted on 13 December but was not given an order about the disposal of the vehicle.
It was heard that the police had not handed over the vehicle documents and information to the Clerk of Court to enable issuance of an order of disposition.
On December14, the court heard, the accused person released the vehicle which the South African Police Service were coming to identify.
Mr Tundiya told the court that he bought the vehicle from a car dealer, Mr Patrick Mutodi in Harare.
He said he was also a victim in the event that the car was stolen.
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