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Court Reporter

The fifth detective from CID Highlands accused of stealing US$70 000 he and four others had allegedly recovered during investigations yesterday appeared in court.

Rodrick Njala Rimodzi was not asked to plead to the charge of criminal abuse of office as a public officer when he appeared before magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje, who remanded him in custody to today for a bail ruling.

The State, led by Mr Anesu Chirenje, applied for his record to be married with that of Edward Mateta, Tinashe Matongo, Princes Mavis Matikiti, Costa Davison who appeared in court on Monday facing a similar charge as they are suspected of being part of the same group operating together.

Mr Chirenje also applied that his submissions in opposing granting of bail to the quartet be incorporated into the record and applied to Rimodzi.

Rimodzi’s lawyer, who also represented the other four, consented to the State’s application, adding that he also wished the court to incorporate submissions he made when applying for bail for the first four cops be incorporated into the combined record.

It is the State’s case that on Thursday last week, detectives from CID Highlands, Edward Mateta, Tinashe Matongo, Princes Mavis Matikiti, Costa Davison arrested Viola Mutumbu for questioning in connection with the missing safe containing US$70 000 and US$10 00 jewellery stolen from her employer in Belvedere.

Mutumbu allegedly revealed that she had given Chriswell Fainoza the safe for safekeeping in Vainona but on questioning he revealed the hiding place.

It is alleged that Rimodzi, Mateta, Matongo, Matikiti and Davison then unlawfully released Mutumbu from their custody before they allegedly went on to break open the safe and stole US$70 000 and jewellery.

The court heard that the five shared US$66 000 equally amongst themselves but tipped Chriswell Fainoza US$4 000 as his share for handing over the safe.

Upon hearing of the transaction, Prince Fainoza then reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of the first four with a successful search launched to find the fifth suspect, Rimodzi.