CID boss trial date set

THE trial of Gweru Officer-in-Charge Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Detective Inspector Leonard Gwandu who was recently arrested on allegations of criminal abuse of office after he allegedly released a vehicle suspected to have been stolen from South Africa without following due process, has been set for 20 February.

Gwandu last week appeared before Gweru magistrate Mr Tavengwa Sangster facing a charge of criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.

He is on $1 000 bail. The State alleged that Gwandu released a Toyota Hilux Raider to businessman Mr Shepherd Tundiya without following due process.

The court heard that Mr Tundiya was arrested in October last year after having been suspected of driving a stolen vehicle which did not have registration numbers. The vehicle was taken to CID Gweru where the accused is the Officer-inCharge.

It is alleged that the accused and other junior police officers checked the vehicle on the Interpol database which is installed in his office. The database showed that the vehicle might have been stolen from Mr Thomas Blom in South Africa. Mr Tundiya was subsequently charged with theft of the vehicle.

However, Mr Tundiya was acquitted on 13 December but was not given an order as to the disposal of the vehicle. It was heard that the police had not initially handed over the vehicle documents and information to the clerk of court to enable the court to issue an order of disposition.

On 14 December, the court heard, the accused person released the vehicle which the South African Police Service were coming to identify. Mr Tundiya has told the court that he bought the vehicle from a car dealer Mr Patrick Mutodi in Harare.

He said he was also a victim in the event that the car was stolen.