News / Africa
Zimbabwean man to be sentenced for vehicle theft in Botswana
13 Jan 2016 at 00:35hrs | Views
A Zimbabwean illegal immigrant, Musa Nkani Dlomo, who last August stole a 9-tonne Toyota truck from his former employer will know his fate tomorrow (Monday) following his conviction last week.
Dlomo had pleaded not guilty to a count of stealing a motor vehicle but was convicted on Monday by Francistown principal magistrate, Dumisani Basupi, on overwhelming evidence by the state.
The court proved that the 68-year-old illegal immigrant from Gokwe in central Zimbabwe had stolen the truck in question and that his intention was to cross over to his native country with the vehicle.
The ageing Zimbabwean migrant is expected to receive a punitive jail sentence as he committed a near cross border crime.
Dlomo stole the vehicle in Francistown and was heading to Zimbabwe when he was arrested by the police.
Upon convicting Dlomo, Magistrate Basupi said the accused had not disputed that he was driving the truck in question when he was stopped at Mapoka village in the northeastern part of the country by police officers stationed at Masunga Police Station.
The truck belongs to Minetech Engineering Company, which is situated at the Francistown's Light Industrial area, the court heard.
According to evidence led in court, the convict was not granted permission to drive the vehicle.
"While the convict in this matter maintained that he had been permitted to drive the vehicle, the two state witnesses stood their ground and quashed his defense," Basupi told a packed court on Monday.
Throughout the trial, the court heard that the convict presented a picture that he had been granted permission to drive the vehicle on the night of August 9 2015.
But the supporting facts raised by the convict exposed him as a liar, the court heard.
"Dlomo tried in vain to present a picture that he was the one who handed over the truck's registration to the police who arrested him when in actual fact he failed to produce any document including his own passport upon inquiry by the police," revealed Basupi.
State Prosecutor, Mbatshi Mafa, applied for the fingerprinting of the convict in order to ascertain if he has any previous convictions.
Dlomo had pleaded not guilty to a count of stealing a motor vehicle but was convicted on Monday by Francistown principal magistrate, Dumisani Basupi, on overwhelming evidence by the state.
The court proved that the 68-year-old illegal immigrant from Gokwe in central Zimbabwe had stolen the truck in question and that his intention was to cross over to his native country with the vehicle.
The ageing Zimbabwean migrant is expected to receive a punitive jail sentence as he committed a near cross border crime.
Dlomo stole the vehicle in Francistown and was heading to Zimbabwe when he was arrested by the police.
Upon convicting Dlomo, Magistrate Basupi said the accused had not disputed that he was driving the truck in question when he was stopped at Mapoka village in the northeastern part of the country by police officers stationed at Masunga Police Station.
The truck belongs to Minetech Engineering Company, which is situated at the Francistown's Light Industrial area, the court heard.
According to evidence led in court, the convict was not granted permission to drive the vehicle.
"While the convict in this matter maintained that he had been permitted to drive the vehicle, the two state witnesses stood their ground and quashed his defense," Basupi told a packed court on Monday.
Throughout the trial, the court heard that the convict presented a picture that he had been granted permission to drive the vehicle on the night of August 9 2015.
But the supporting facts raised by the convict exposed him as a liar, the court heard.
"Dlomo tried in vain to present a picture that he was the one who handed over the truck's registration to the police who arrested him when in actual fact he failed to produce any document including his own passport upon inquiry by the police," revealed Basupi.
State Prosecutor, Mbatshi Mafa, applied for the fingerprinting of the convict in order to ascertain if he has any previous convictions.
Source - Byo24News
