News / Local
CIO car smuggling case drags on
10 Nov 2024 at 11:00hrs | Views
A vehicle smuggling case, which implicates several officers from various law enforcement agencies, including the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), was postponed last Thursday after the state informed the court that it was not ready to proceed.
The three suspects - Brian Matongo (41), Tinashe Kanda (41), and car dealer Elvis Jieman (28) - are facing charges of fraudulently acquiring exempted number plates from the Office of the President and Cabinet. These plates were allegedly used to evade customs duties and enable free passage through tollgates and police roadblocks.
The trio, who are out on bail, appeared before Harare Magistrate Stanford Mambanje, but the state asked for more time to prepare its case. As a result, they were remanded to January 15, 2024.
The charges stem from a case that dates back to October 2023 following the arrest of the suspects. The state claims that between 2017 and 2018, Matongo, Kanda, and Jieman were involved in smuggling high-end vehicles from South Africa into Zimbabwe. They allegedly worked with officials from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA), the Central Vehicle Registration (CVR), and the CIO to facilitate the fraudulent registration of these vehicles.
One of the key vehicles involved in the case is a Toyota Fortuner that was smuggled from South Africa in December 2017. Kanda allegedly used his connections to acquire a vehicle registration book and an exempted number plate belonging to the Office of the President and Cabinet. Jieman, the car dealer, is said to have used the plate on the smuggled Toyota, allowing him to avoid paying taxes, license fees, and toll fees.
The fraudulent activities came to light when the Office of the President and Cabinet noticed a rise in missing exempted registration plates being circulated. This prompted an investigation by the police, which led to the recovery of the vehicle and the stolen plates.
This case is one of several involving the smuggling of vehicles and the misuse of official registration plates, with previous arrests, including that of Tatenda Dzapasi, an aide to Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, who was caught smuggling a vehicle with stolen plates last year.
The case continues to unfold as the state prepares its evidence.
The three suspects - Brian Matongo (41), Tinashe Kanda (41), and car dealer Elvis Jieman (28) - are facing charges of fraudulently acquiring exempted number plates from the Office of the President and Cabinet. These plates were allegedly used to evade customs duties and enable free passage through tollgates and police roadblocks.
The trio, who are out on bail, appeared before Harare Magistrate Stanford Mambanje, but the state asked for more time to prepare its case. As a result, they were remanded to January 15, 2024.
The charges stem from a case that dates back to October 2023 following the arrest of the suspects. The state claims that between 2017 and 2018, Matongo, Kanda, and Jieman were involved in smuggling high-end vehicles from South Africa into Zimbabwe. They allegedly worked with officials from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA), the Central Vehicle Registration (CVR), and the CIO to facilitate the fraudulent registration of these vehicles.
The fraudulent activities came to light when the Office of the President and Cabinet noticed a rise in missing exempted registration plates being circulated. This prompted an investigation by the police, which led to the recovery of the vehicle and the stolen plates.
This case is one of several involving the smuggling of vehicles and the misuse of official registration plates, with previous arrests, including that of Tatenda Dzapasi, an aide to Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, who was caught smuggling a vehicle with stolen plates last year.
The case continues to unfold as the state prepares its evidence.
Source - newsday
