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Mozambican gets 10 years for stealing Tel-One cables
21 Jun 2014 at 13:23hrs | Views
A 28- YEAR-OLD Mozambican national was last week sentenced to 10 effective years behind bars for stealing Tel-One cables in Chipinge.
Adamo Mussacotcha Mulambo of Makwinya Village under Chief Makwiyana, Mozambique appeared before Chipinge magistrate, Mr James Gapara for contravening Section 89 (4) of the Postal and Telecommunication Act, Chapter 12:5 which says any person who unlawfully destroys,injures or removes any telecommunication lines belonging to or used by telecommunication company will be prosecuted.
He pleaded guilty to the charges.
The court heard that on June 12, around 10pm at Southdown Estate, Chipinge, Adamo stole copper cables belonging to Tel-One weighing 15kgs.
Police detective who were on patrol in the area received a tip-off from members of the public that Adamo was in possession of the copper cables.
Detectives made a follow-up and managed to locate Adamo who was riding a bicycle carrying the copper cables in a sack. Adano was arrested and upon interviewing he revealed that he had cut the Tel-One cables.
He then led the police detectives to where he had committed the offence. The recovered cables are worth $750.
Asked why he stole the cablses, Adamo said he was unaware that the cables were still Tel-One property because he saw them lying idle for some weeks.
"Your Worship, I was unaware that I was committing a serious offence because I saw the cables hanging from a tree for some weeks and I believe no one owned them. That is why I cut them," he said.
In sentencing him, Mr Gapara said the cutting down of telecommunication cables was a serious offence and those who found breaching the law deserves custodial sentence.
"Cases of smuggling of copper cables and other important metals are on the rise in Zimbabwe hence the courts should act before the situation gets out of hand. The minimum jailed for unlawfully stealing telecommunication line is 10 years," he said.
He was sentenced to 10 effective years in jail.
Adamo Mussacotcha Mulambo of Makwinya Village under Chief Makwiyana, Mozambique appeared before Chipinge magistrate, Mr James Gapara for contravening Section 89 (4) of the Postal and Telecommunication Act, Chapter 12:5 which says any person who unlawfully destroys,injures or removes any telecommunication lines belonging to or used by telecommunication company will be prosecuted.
He pleaded guilty to the charges.
The court heard that on June 12, around 10pm at Southdown Estate, Chipinge, Adamo stole copper cables belonging to Tel-One weighing 15kgs.
Police detective who were on patrol in the area received a tip-off from members of the public that Adamo was in possession of the copper cables.
Detectives made a follow-up and managed to locate Adamo who was riding a bicycle carrying the copper cables in a sack. Adano was arrested and upon interviewing he revealed that he had cut the Tel-One cables.
He then led the police detectives to where he had committed the offence. The recovered cables are worth $750.
Asked why he stole the cablses, Adamo said he was unaware that the cables were still Tel-One property because he saw them lying idle for some weeks.
"Your Worship, I was unaware that I was committing a serious offence because I saw the cables hanging from a tree for some weeks and I believe no one owned them. That is why I cut them," he said.
In sentencing him, Mr Gapara said the cutting down of telecommunication cables was a serious offence and those who found breaching the law deserves custodial sentence.
"Cases of smuggling of copper cables and other important metals are on the rise in Zimbabwe hence the courts should act before the situation gets out of hand. The minimum jailed for unlawfully stealing telecommunication line is 10 years," he said.
He was sentenced to 10 effective years in jail.
Source - manicapost
