A senior police officer was arrested in Bulawayo for allegedly stealing a vehicle from his friend as he was being entertained by a prostitute in Epworth.
Richard Masuku (48), a superintendent, reportedly drove away in a Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation engineer’s BMW vehicle in the dead of the night to Bulawayo where he was arrested days later following a tip-off.
Masuku, based at Harare Provincial Headquarters Camps and Hostels section, was arrested a week after the August 30 theft. He has since appeared in court facing charges under the Road Traffic Act Chapter 13:11, ‘using motor vehicle without owner’s consent’.
Harare magistrate Mrs Wongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro, remanded Masuku in custody to September 19 and advised him to apply for bail at the High Court.
Masuku and Mufudzi Shumba, who is employed by Transmedia at ZBC Pockets Hill, had been drinking beer together at Celebrity Bar in Msasa before they decided to pick up two prostitutes who reside in Epworth where they later went to sleep for the night.
Taking advantage of Shumba who was in another room with the prostitute, Masuku drove off in the vehicle at around 3 am.
Prosecutor Nancy Chandakaona, said on August 30, Shumba who was driving a BMW registration number AED 4901 met Masuku at Celebrity Bar in Msasa where they drank beer together.
The two later hatched a plan to pick up two ladies from the bar and hooked up with Paidamoyo Chihwehwete and Beauty Mayor all of Munyuki in Epworth.
It is alleged that at around 11 pm Shumba and Masuku in the company of Chihwehwete and Mayor left the bar and drove to Munyuki Business Centre.
Shumba disembarked from the vehicle to buy beer leaving the three in the vehicle and when he returned a few minutes later he saw Masuku now seated on the driver’s seat.
He then went and sat in the back seat before they drove to Chihwehwete and Mayor’s house where they had planned to sleep over. The State heard that they all disembarked from the vehicle and Shumba left his Asus i5 laptop at the back seat and seven pairs of tracksuits inscribed, ‘Greendale city wolves’ in the boot.
Masuku locked the vehicle and got into Mayor’s room with the car keys while Shumba got into Chihwehwete’s room and slept. During the same night Masuku is alleged to have hatched a plan to steal Shumba’s vehicle and he drove off leaving him sleeping.
Shumba woke up at around 7am and discovered that the vehicle was missing and he inquired from Chihwehwete who told him that Masuku had left with the car at around 3am and had promised to come and pick him up at around 5am.
Shumba tried to contact Masuku on his mobile phone but it was switched off.
He made checks at his workplace and his residence but could not locate him and reported the matter to the police.
On September 6, police received a tip-off that Masuku was in Bulawayo and they arrested him in the city leading to the recovery of the vehicle. The laptop, three tracksuit jackets and a tracksuit bottom were not recovered.
The vehicle had also developed a fuel pump fault while the rear left passenger window winding system was not functional.
Total value stolen was $7 500 and police recovered property worth $6 000.-Chronicle
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