FAITH NDOU
MASVINGO –Masvingo Regional Magistrate Innocent Bepura has sentenced Ken Chiringa to 12 years in prison after convicting him of unlawful possession of 113 kilograms of dagga while co-accused Tafara Malachi Mpofu was acquitted.
The ruling followed a full trial at the Masvingo Magistrates Court in which the State presented evidence linking Chiringa to the transportation of the illicit substance in a rented Toyota Fortuner.
Mpofu was acquitted after the court found there was insufficient evidence connecting him to the offence.
The court heard that he was merely a passenger in the vehicle and the owner of the car rental company testified that he did not know him.
The State, represented by prosecutor Lyton Katsidzire, proved that on January 31 police received information about a white Toyota Fortuner without registration plates had fled from a roadblock in Bubi.
Hours later, police intercepted the vehicle at Lundi Roadblock. The driver, identified as Chiringa, allegedly ignored police signals to stop, forcing officers to deploy spikes to disable the vehicle.
Upon being stopped, the accused initially claimed to be members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) before later changing their story and alleging they were affiliated to Boys Dza Mdara, a ZANU PF-linked group.
Police searched the vehicle and recovered 113kg of dagga, an air gun hidden in the dashboard, and registration plates concealed under the passenger seat.
The court heard that the Toyota Fortuner GD6, registration number AGT 0713, had been hired from Top Snash Car Rental by Chiringa on January 19.
The company’s managing director, Lovejoy Chitapamunashe, testified that Chiringa had signed a rental agreement and was expected to return the vehicle the following day. He told the court that the vehicle had registration plates when it was handed over, but these had been removed by the time police recovered it.
Chitapamunashe also revealed that Chiringa had misled him about his intended destination, initially claiming he would remain in Harare before later requesting an extension of the rental period.
In his defence, Chiringa claimed he did not understand police stop signals and argued that the vehicle frequently operated without number plates because it was used by party officials.
He further alleged that a woman identified only as “Mai Kikky” had hired him to transport packages for US$1,200, insisting he did not know the contents.
However, the State dismissed his explanation, arguing that the circumstances surrounding the transportation and the payment offered indicated that he was fully aware he was carrying illegal substances.
In delivering judgment, Magistrate Bepura convicted Chiringa and sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment while acquitting Mpofu due to lack of evidence linking him to the crime.
