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Lovemore Meya Court Reporter
A Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development accountant was sentenced to five years in jail for kidnapping and assaulting a bar attendant accusing him of being a thief.

Laston Mutaki (38) of Chitsvatsva Village in Seke was jailed together with his accomplice, Gift Majasi (30) of Mabika Village in the same area.

Majasi was employed as a debt collector at Connomical Debt Collections in Harare.

The pair denied two counts of kidnapping and assault when they appeared before Chitungwiza magistrate Mr Lazarus Murendo on Monday.

Mr Murendo, however, convicted them after a full trial with prosecutor Mr Norman Koropi proving a strong case against the pair.

They were each slapped with a six-year jail term with a year suspended on condition of good behaviour.

In passing sentence, Mr Murendo described the pair’s behaviour as wayward.

“You kidnapped the complainant and assaulted him on the pretext that you were taking him to the police station, an act that is heinous. People like you do not deserve court leniency, but in prison where you belong,” said Mr Murendo.

Proven facts were that on April 11 this year at around 8pm, Mutaki and Majasi approached Nega Chirove (38) of Unit G, Chitungwiza, who is employed as a bar attendant, at Mukanya Sports Bar at Makoni Shopping Centre.

They manhandled Chirove accusing him of being a thief.

It was also proved that they ordered him to get into their vehicle – a Nissan Elgrand – on the pretext that they were taking him to Chitungwiza Police Station.

Instead, the duo drove towards Ziko shops and on the way, they took turns to assault Chi- rove.

When they arrived at the shops, the court heard that they teamed up with another gang and started assaulting Chirove using wooden sticks and kicking him several times.

The gang only stopped assaulting Chirove following the intervention of a police officer who took the pair to the station.

Chirove reported the matter leading to the duo’s arrest.