News / Local
Plumtree police station gold theft saga deepens
26 Aug 2018 at 06:56hrs | Views
THE Prosecutor-General's office yesterday deployed deputy chief magistrate Elijar Makomo from Harare to hear a case in Bulawayo, where a Plumtree regional magistrate and prosecutor face charges of unlawfully acquitting police officers accused of stealing gold worth $1 million.
Plumtree regional magistrate Timeon Tavengwa Makunde, prosecutor Stanley Chinyanganya and Harare lawyer Admire Kubaya appeared before Makomo at the Bulawayo magistrates court on charges of unlawfully acquitting the seven cops who allegedly stole the 28,5kg of gold from an armoury at Plumtree police station.
The accused were represented by Harare lawyer Thabani Mpofu, who was representing MDC Alliance presidential hopeful Nelson Chamisa in a Constitutional Court petition challenging the presidential election results last week.
Mpofu applied for bail on their behalf, and the deputy chief magistrate was set to deliver his ruling later in the evening.
The stolen gold was being kept as an exhibit at the police station since September 2015 after border control and minerals unit police officers seized it at Plumtree border post from a man who had tried to smuggle it into Botswana.
The arrested include the officer-in-charge of Plumtree Police Station, Inspector Ginger Vhiyano, and six of his subordinates.
Initial reports said the seven were remanded in custody to September 3 when they appeared before Plumtree resident magistrate Sharon Rosemani last week but proceedings at the court yesterday showed they had been "unlawfully" acquitted.
Acting prosecutor-general Kumbirai Hodzi was yesterday quoted saying the case exposed a syndicate comprising top magistrates, prosecutors, police officers and immigration officers who conducted corrupt activities such as smuggling gold outside the country.
Plumtree regional magistrate Timeon Tavengwa Makunde, prosecutor Stanley Chinyanganya and Harare lawyer Admire Kubaya appeared before Makomo at the Bulawayo magistrates court on charges of unlawfully acquitting the seven cops who allegedly stole the 28,5kg of gold from an armoury at Plumtree police station.
The accused were represented by Harare lawyer Thabani Mpofu, who was representing MDC Alliance presidential hopeful Nelson Chamisa in a Constitutional Court petition challenging the presidential election results last week.
Mpofu applied for bail on their behalf, and the deputy chief magistrate was set to deliver his ruling later in the evening.
The stolen gold was being kept as an exhibit at the police station since September 2015 after border control and minerals unit police officers seized it at Plumtree border post from a man who had tried to smuggle it into Botswana.
The arrested include the officer-in-charge of Plumtree Police Station, Inspector Ginger Vhiyano, and six of his subordinates.
Initial reports said the seven were remanded in custody to September 3 when they appeared before Plumtree resident magistrate Sharon Rosemani last week but proceedings at the court yesterday showed they had been "unlawfully" acquitted.
Acting prosecutor-general Kumbirai Hodzi was yesterday quoted saying the case exposed a syndicate comprising top magistrates, prosecutors, police officers and immigration officers who conducted corrupt activities such as smuggling gold outside the country.
Source - The Standard
