-as car rental confirms number plates attachment
FAITH NDOU
Masvingo- Ken Chiringa and Tafara Malachi Mpofu accused of unlawfull possession of 113 kilograms of dagga were remanded in custody to April 22 for the continuation of their trial by Magistrate Innocent Bepura.
The decision follows a hearing at the Masvingo Magistrates Court where new details regarding the vehicle used in the crime emerged, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding the alleged offence.
The State was represented by Prosecutor Lyton Katsidzire, opposed bail arguing that the accused had attempted to flee from police and were likely to abscond if released.
The incident occurred on January 31, when police received a tip-off about a white Toyota Fortuner without number plates that had fled from a roadblock in Bubi.
Several hours later, a similar vehicle was intercepted at the Lundi Roadblock. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Chiringa, ignored police stop signals, prompting officers to deploy spikes to stop the car. Upon stopping, the two accused falsely claimed to be members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), but later changed their story, identifying themselves as affiliates of Boys Dza Mdara, a ZANU PF group.
A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 113kg of dagga, an air gun hidden in the dashboard, and number plates found stashed under the passenger seat. The vehicle, which had originally been rented, was missing its registration plates at the time of the stop.
Lovejoy Chitapamunashe the Managing Director of Top Snash Car Rental, testified that the vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner GD6 (registration number AGT 0713) had been hired by Chiringa on January 19.
According to Chitapamunashe, Chiringa had signed a rental agreement and was supposed to return the vehicle by January 20. Chitapamunashe confirmed that he conducted a checklist on the vehicle before handing it over and that the registration plates were attached at the time.
However, when police contacted him to collect the vehicle, Chitapamunashe found that the registration plates had been removed.
He explained that he had also left tools in the vehicle for use in case of a breakdown.
When questioned by defense lawyer Maddock Chivasa about the accused’s intentions, Chitapamunashe revealed that clients sometimes misrepresented their plans.
In this case, he stated that Chiringa had lied about his destination, initially claiming he would be around in Harare only to later request an extension of the rental period.
In his defense, Chiringa claimed he did not understand police stop signals and explained that the vehicle had no number plates because it was regularly used by party officials.
He further claimed that he had been hired by a woman named Mai Kikky, who allegedly paid him US$1,200 to transport packages, although he insisted he was unaware of the contents.
The State dismissed this explanation, arguing that the high rental fee alone from Mai Kikky indicated the accused were likely aware they were transporting illegal substances.
Magistrate Bepura denied bail and remanded them in custody until April 22 for the continuation of the trial.
