FORMER Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri
reportedly stole number plates of a broken down Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)
Mercedes Benz which he used to fraudulently get the State to service his
personal vehicles, a court heard.
Chihuri’s alleged shenanigans were revealed by Detective
Assistant Inspector Thomas Mabgwe while testifying in a matter in which a
former police officer, Senior Assistant Commissioner Robert Tendero Masukusa
(47), is facing charges of using State funds to repair his personal car.
Det Asst Insp Mabgwe told the court that Masukusa was in
the habit of having his personal vehicles fixed at various garages using police
funds.
He said they discovered that Chihuri was also using the
police account to service his Mercedes Benz after they requested a print out
from Zimoco while investigating Masukusa’s case.
“We discovered that there was a certain vehicle which was
being fixed at (Zimoco’s) garage which had the same number plates with that of
a police vehicle that was under breakdown and had been long parked in
Chitungwiza,” he said.
Det Asst Insp Mabgwe said he proceeded to Chitungwiza and
discovered that the vehicle in question was parked and had never been moved. He
further stated that the chassis number of the vehicle which was being serviced
at Zimoco was totally different from the one parked in Chitungwiza.
“We discovered that the same number plate was also being
used on several occasions to fix vehicles belonging to Chihuri,” he said. Det
Asst Insp Mabgwe told the court that it was unlawful for Masukusa to service
his private vehicle using the police account.
He further stated that Masukusa intentionally committed the
offence since he was the Chief Staff Officer in charge of the Transport and
Logistics Department.
“As a result of that misrepresentation, Zimoco fixed
Masukusa’s car under the ZRP account, thereby prejudicing the organisation,”
said Det Asst Insp Mabgwe.
Harare magistrate Mrs Rumbidzai Mugwagwa deferred the
matter to July 5 for trial continuation. Prosecutor Francesca Mukumbiri alleges
that Masukusa used over US$7 000 after he took his car for servicing at
Isoquant Investments Trading as Zimoco under the guise that the car belonged to
the ZRP. It is alleged that he committed the offence between 2015 and 2016.
According to the State, Masukusa bought the car, an ML 320
Mercedes Benz, at an auction carried out on behalf of ZRP by KM Auctions on
January 17, 2015.
He reportedly deceived Zimoco by claiming his vehicle
belonged to the police. Acting upon the misrepresentation, Zimoco renewed rear
shocks on Masukusa’s vehicle, right rear driveshaft, brake pads and camber
strut.
Full wheel alignment services were also done to the
vehicle, among other repairs. Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment