A Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) officer who stole firearms from his father’s security company with the intention of committing an armed robbery crime with his friends, has been issued with a warrant of arrest after he absconded his court session, Friday.
Moketsi Ndlovu (27) stationed a 2 Mechanised Batallion, Inkomo Barracks in Harare was granted ZWL$500 bail when he initially appeared in court, Monday.
He is charged with theft of firearms and also jointly charged with Ngqabutho Tshuma(42), Talent Dube(34) and Bukhosi Moyo (26) for conspiring to commit armed robbery.
Despite all of them being freed on bail, Ngqabutho Tshuma is still in custody as he has not yet managed to pay.
Bulawayo Provincial Magistrate Tinashe Tashaya postponed the matter to January 2, 2020.
According to the State papers as presented by Memory Matare, on December 18 Ndlovu stole .38 special revolver serial numberAA455788, 5 by 9mm rounds of ammunition, 6 by 7.62mm rounds of ammunition 1 by 2.70mm round of ammunition and a 303 rifle with a magazine of 5 live rounds of ammunition.
Matare told the court that the four, acting on the information provided by Ndlovu (the soldier) entered into an agreement to commit armed robbery on Dorah Zivengwa at her house in Nkulumane after Ndlovu had supplied information that there was money at her house.
The State alleged that the agreement was Ndlovu would steal firearms from Perazim Security Company which is owned by his father to use for the commission of the offence.
“Ndlovu went to the company and asked for keys from the supervisor, one Nkosiyazi Mhlanga under the pretext that he was taking them to the company directors.
While inside the premises, accused stole .38 special revolver serial number AA455788, 5 by 9MM rounds of ammunition, 6 by 7.62MM rounds of ammunition 1 BY 2.70MM round of ammunition and a 303 rifle with a magazine of 5 live rounds of ammunition and went to his accomplices who were waiting in a Honda CRV Registration Number ADM 8218 near the company premises being driven be Evert Mloyi,” said Matare.
Matare said detectives who had been informed about the planned mission, pounced on the accused persons, arrested them and subsequently recovered the firearms.
