The Sunday News
Tendai Bhebe, Sunday News Reporter
THREE men from Binga have been jailed after they were found guilty of misrepresenting themselves as police officers who had been deployed to collect weapons from firearm holders when their intention was to steal.
Edward Ndlovu (47), Priviledge Dzindimu (32) and Ernest Dzindimu (49) from Chuzya village appeared before Binga resident magistrate Miss Portia Mhlanga on Friday.
They were facing charges of contravening section 136 (a)(b) of the criminal law codification and reform act chapter 9:23 of fraud.
The trio pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment each with six months suspended from each on condition of good behaviour.
Prosecutor, Mr Bruce Maphosa told the court that the trio connived to defraud a resident in the same village.
“On 13 January the three connived and hatched a plan to go and defraud Mr Johnsen Nkomo of his 303 rifle. Ndlovu then supplied a police uniform to Priviledge on the pretext that they are police officers on duty,” he said.
The court also heard on the same day at around 8pm, the three persons proceeded to Mr Nkomo’s homestead in Chuzya village where upon arrival, they introduced themselves as police officers from Hwange Police Station who had been deployed to collect all firearms and ammunition from all firearm holders for vetting process.
Mr Maphosa said Mr Nkomo then gave the trio his 303 rifle serial number 2262 with an empty magazine in a green military pouch.
They went away and never returned. The court heard that on 24 January Mr Nkomo then went to Lusulu Police Station and reported the matter leading to the arrests of the three men.
The firearm was recovered in a bushy area in the same village.
Police have complained that there are increased cases of thugs who are using police uniforms to commit crimes.
