MUTARE — Two prison officers based in Rusape were yesterday brought to court for allegedly attempting to smuggle 98 bales of second-hand clothes worth $10 000 into the country using a prisons truck.
Tonderayi Mugoti (35) and Sheppard Nyika (29) were granted $50 bail each and remanded to August 5 for trial.
They were not asked to plead when they briefly appeared before Mutare magistrate Langton Mukwembi on three counts of criminal abuse of duty, contravening the Customs and Excise Act and using a government vehicle for purposes not authorised by their employer.
The prison warders were allegedly intercepted at a police roadblock near Penhalonga on July 20 on their way from Mozambique.
In count one of contravening the Customs and Excise Act, the court heard the pair was driving the Zimbabwe Prison Service (ZPS) truck laden with 98 bales of second-hand clothes allegedly smuggled from Mozambique. In the second count, the pair is accused of abuse of public office.
The State submitted the two being ZPS members and acting in common purpose drove the government truck and carried 98 bales of second-hand clothes smuggled from Mozambique contrary to and inconsistent with their duty as public officers.
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They are also being charged with contravening the Road Traffic Act by embarking on an unauthorised trip.
Truman Joma prosecuted.