Cop up for stocktheft, abuse of office

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A CONSTABLE based at Lupane Police Station in Matabeleland North is in trouble after he allegedly fraudulently processed four cattle clearance forms for a livestock theft suspect using names of other villagers in an attempt to authenticate the deal.

A CONSTABLE based at Lupane Police Station in Matabeleland North is in trouble after he allegedly fraudulently processed four cattle clearance forms for a livestock theft suspect using names of other villagers in an attempt to authenticate the deal. SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER

Solace Joshua Ngarize (24) was not asked to plead to stocktheft charges with an alternative charge of abuse of office when he appeared before Lupane magistrate Aelene Munamati.

State prosecutor Sanders Sibanda applied for trial to be held on April 10.

Allegations against Ngarize were that on December 28 2013, the owner of the stolen beasts, Onious Moyo of Daluka village, took his herd with TSY brand marks to a grazing area in St Luke’s.

When he went to fetch them, he discovered that four beasts were missing. On January 2 2014, the four beasts were seen in Ndamuleni at Losa Moyo’s homestead.

The State alleged that Ngarize went to the anti-stocktheft police section in Lupane and took some clearance forms. Others reportedly warned him that the cattle he wanted to clear were suspected to have been stolen, but Ngarize proceeded to complete the forms and gave them to Maclose Mathe, who had reportedly stolen them from Onious.

Mathe then sold a beast to one Jabulani Mhlanga who slaughtered it at his butchery.

Mathe allegedly drove the remaining three beasts to Umguza Abattoirs where he intended to sell them.

It was the State’s case that an alert veterinary officer at the abattoirs discovered that the cattle which were described in the clearance forms did not match their physical appearance and ordered that they be taken back to the police for verification.

It was also further discovered that Ngarize had, in completing the forms, claimed that a villager, Dolly Moyo, had sold the beasts to Mathe and a fictitious Khumbulani Ncube was said to be a witness.

The police launched investigations and discovered that Ngarize assisted Mathe in the stocktheft by fraudulently filling the clearance forms.

Mathe realised that theft would be exposed and fled. He is still at large.