News / National
Top cop faces car theft charge
01 Sep 2020 at 14:24hrs | Views
A TOP police officer has been accused of stealing her employer's vehicle, an Isuzu KB truck.
Police have since seized the truck, worth $1 200 000, which Superintendent Modesta Manungo Masukusa claims to have bought from the force.
She has now approached the High Court seeking an order to compel Detective Assistant Inspector Thomas Mabwe, director Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga to release the vehicle to her.
"This is an application for actio rei vindicatio (action by which the plaintiff demands that the defendant return a property that belongs to the plaintiff) against the respondents (Detective Assistant Inspector Thomas Mabwe, director Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Commissioner General of Police, Godwin Matanga) who forcibly and wrongfully deprived the applicant (Masukusa) her vehicle Isuzu KB registration number ADR4138. In the alternative, to above spoliatory relief is sought," Masukusa said through her lawyers.
According to Masukusa, on October 1 last year, she was called by Mabwe to the CID headquarters in Harare where she was advised that she was being charged with car theft.
Masukusa said what surprised her was that she had been driving the same vehicle on a daily basis to and from work after buying it.
She further said her vehicle was seized on the same day albeit without a court order.
"I am a member of the ZRP and currently serving as a superintendent and the motor vehicle that was seized is my personal vehicle which I had been using to and from work since I bought the motor vehicle from the Zimbabwe Republic Police," Masukusa said in her affidavit.
"Since I was formally charged on October 1, 2019 and my motor vehicle seized on the same day, I have not been brought before a court of law for a period of about nine months, which is an unreasonable time and prejudicing me since my vehicle is depreciating in value through wear and tear since it is unreasonably parked at the police station," she said.
The top cop said it was beyond doubt that she was the owner of the vehicle as evidenced by the proof of ownership which she attached to the application, adding the vehicle was lawfully registered in her name when she bought it.
The matter is set to be heard tomorrow.
Police have since seized the truck, worth $1 200 000, which Superintendent Modesta Manungo Masukusa claims to have bought from the force.
She has now approached the High Court seeking an order to compel Detective Assistant Inspector Thomas Mabwe, director Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga to release the vehicle to her.
"This is an application for actio rei vindicatio (action by which the plaintiff demands that the defendant return a property that belongs to the plaintiff) against the respondents (Detective Assistant Inspector Thomas Mabwe, director Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Commissioner General of Police, Godwin Matanga) who forcibly and wrongfully deprived the applicant (Masukusa) her vehicle Isuzu KB registration number ADR4138. In the alternative, to above spoliatory relief is sought," Masukusa said through her lawyers.
According to Masukusa, on October 1 last year, she was called by Mabwe to the CID headquarters in Harare where she was advised that she was being charged with car theft.
She further said her vehicle was seized on the same day albeit without a court order.
"I am a member of the ZRP and currently serving as a superintendent and the motor vehicle that was seized is my personal vehicle which I had been using to and from work since I bought the motor vehicle from the Zimbabwe Republic Police," Masukusa said in her affidavit.
"Since I was formally charged on October 1, 2019 and my motor vehicle seized on the same day, I have not been brought before a court of law for a period of about nine months, which is an unreasonable time and prejudicing me since my vehicle is depreciating in value through wear and tear since it is unreasonably parked at the police station," she said.
The top cop said it was beyond doubt that she was the owner of the vehicle as evidenced by the proof of ownership which she attached to the application, adding the vehicle was lawfully registered in her name when she bought it.
The matter is set to be heard tomorrow.
Source - newsday
