HARARE - A Budiriro man masqueraded as a detective from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID)’s Vehicle Theft Squad department and stole a car after misrepresenting to the complainant that it had been forfeited to the State.
Stephen Muzengeza, 28, appeared before Harare magistrate Tendai Mahwe facing charges of impersonating a police officer and theft of a motor vehicle.
He was remanded in custody to April 9.
Prosecutor Farai Gatsi alleged that sometime in October last year, Brighton Magoto parked his Mazda 626 bearing Botswana registration plates at BancABC along Samora Machel Avenue in Harare.
Muzengeza and his accomplice Tichaona Zulu, who is still at large, introduced themselves as detectives from the CID Vehicle Theft Squad and demanded to see the car’s particulars.
Magoto gave the accused persons a temporary import permit, registration book and Sarpco clearance certificate.
Muzengeza and Zulu told Magoto that he was under arrest because they had noted irregularities on the vehicle’s particulars. They subsequently impounded the car.
Zulu took the car keys and said he was driving the vehicle to CID Southerton in Harare.
On March 23 this year, Magoto’s friend spotted the vehicle being driven by Zulu in Budiriro and advised him.
Magoto went to CID Southerton in Harare the following day and discovered that Muzengeza and Zulu were not police officers.
