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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
Two Tanzanian men appeared in court on Thursday on allegations of stealing a Mercedes Benz CLA 250 4matic valued at R400 000 from a South African man.

Hamis Hamis Kopa (37) and Matee Gabriel Gilbert (43) were facing two counts, one of theft and the other one of possessing property reasonably suspected of being stolen when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe.

They were denied bail and will be back in court on April 1.

Allegations are that on February 4 this year the two connived and stole the Mercedes Benz from Charles Baloyi who is employed by Mercedes Benz Centurion in Pretoria.

The court heard that Kopa went on to change the registration number and forged a vehicle registration book bearing his name as the owner.

It is the state’s case that on February 9 the two smuggled the car from South Africa to Zimbabwe on transit to Tanzania through an undesignated point along Limpopo River, Pande area in Beitbridge.

The court heard that the offence was discovered by police on patrol leading to the two’s arrest and the recovery of the motor vehicle.