Trio steals gun from CIO operative

THREE men from Bulawayo have appeared in court facing a charge of stealing a pistol from a Central Intelligence Organisation officer.

Thethelani Ndlovu (39), Khulumani Moyo (29) and Stancilous Nekati (49) were not asked to plead when they appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Maxwell Ncube on Monday.

They were granted US$150 bail each and remanded to February 26.

They were ordered not to interfere with State witnesses and to reside at their given addresses until the finalisation of the case.

The magistrate ordered them to report every Friday at Pumula East Police Station.

The complainant in the matter is Blesseward Zvikaramba, who is employed by the Office of the President.

The court heard that on January 28 at around 5pm, at Liquor Suppliers in Fife Street in Bulawayo, Zvikaramba parked his motor vehicle, a Toyota D4D.

Zvikaramba left a government service firearm CZ pistol loaded with a magazine of 5 blank rounds, his wallet containing identification particulars, six castle lite beers, a pack of brutal fruit and two 750ml bottles of whisky.

During Zvikaramba’s absence, the trio hatched a plan to break into the vehicle using an unknown object and stole the gun and beers.

Ndlovu and Moyo were arrested by police officers from Donnington Police Station.

The State said that police detectives from CID interviewed Ndlovu and Moyo, who implicated Nekati leading to his arrest.

The trio led police officers to the scene of the crime.

The court heard that the value of the stolen goods was US$50 excluding the firearm.