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Conrad Mupesa Mashonaland West Bureau

A Mhangura-based police officer and his three accomplices who allegedly stole electricity copper cables, have appeared before a Chinhoyi magistrate facing charges of vandalism.

The four are police officer Medicine Madzivo (40), Sanwed Makanyera (41), James Maranganwa (26) and Fraderick Machete.

Chinhoyi magistrate Ms Tamari Chibindi presided over the case.

Prosecuting, Mr Clever Nyapfani, said on Friday last week, the four went to Gudubu Village 5 in Mhangura Constituency and stole armoured cables from an electricity transformer that was earlier struck by lightning.

They dug the cables, cutting off 24 metres x 4 core 25 millimetres and 40 metres x 4 core 17 millimetres armoured cables and went away unnoticed.

On Saturday in the afternoon, Sergeant Yeukai Kahanda received information from an undisclosed informer to the effect that Makanyera and Maranganwa were stripping  some stolen armoured cables in a bush near Mhangura dumpsite.

Police officers reacted to the information and met Makanyera and Maranganwa on the way after they had left the place where they were peeling off the stolen armoured cables.

The court heard that the two ran away, but were pursued and apprehended.

During questioning, they revealed that they were peeling off plastic coatings of armoured cables for sale.

The following day, the gang led police officers to Village 5 where they indicated where they had stolen the armoured cables.

The value of the stolen property was US$2 592 and all was recovered.

They were granted $5 000 bail each and ordered to reside at their given addresses and not to interfere with State witnesses.

Further, they were ordered to report once every Friday at Mhangura Police Station until finalization of the matter.

They will be back in court on March 1, for routine remand.