Cops Arrested For Illegal Livestock Clearance
Two Zimbabwe Republic Police officers have here been arraigned before Gutu resident magistrate Mr. Victor Mahamadi for allegedly clearing seven stolen cattle.
Vincent Tinarwo, 32, and Rodrey Mukaro, 27, both stationed in Gutu, were recently arrested after they cleared the beasts allegedly stolen from Gutu Mission Hospital.
The two were charged with criminal abuse of office. They were admitted to $300 bail to February 7.
Magistrate Mahamadi said the court would establish whether or not the two police details followed legal procedures for stock clearance.
Prosecutor Ratchel Murape told the court that on December 29, 2019, at around 3 pm, Tinarwo, who was on duty at Gutu Police Station, received a call from one Kudzai Murima, a well-known cattle buyer who intended to clear his cattle from Mazongororo Village.
It is the State case that Tinarwo met the cattle buyer at Hwiru location in Gutu, where they allegedly connived to complete the livestock clearance book in the absence of the alleged seller Jonathan Mangoro.
On the day in question, three cattle were cleared and were transported to Masvingo for slaughter. Furthermore, on January 1, 2020, at around 2 pm, the other police officer, Mukaro received a phone call from the same buyer indicating that he wanted his four more cattle from Mazongororo village to be cleared.
The two again met at Hwiru where they completed a clearance book (ZRP 392) for the four cattle in absence of the alleged seller of the cattle Mangoro.
The two officers were both arrested after members of the public through investigations, got wind that Mangoro never sold any cattle to Murima and that cattle belonged to authorities at Gutu Mission.
