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Prosper Dembedza Herald Correspondent

A suspected serial car thief who hired two cars using fake identity details before disappearing with them appeared in court last week.

Batsirai Mhungu (44) was facing two counts of theft of motor vehicles when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei last week and was remanded in custody to April 15 for bail application.

On the first count, Mhungu used fake identity details purporting to be Jobert Munyaradzi (national ID number 15-100746D-15) to hire a white Toyota Corolla (registration number AGD5435) on January 15.

Mhungu went on to sign an agreement using fake identity and was supposed to return the car on January 17 but he failed to do so.

Instead, Mhungu allegedly produced a fake registration book for the car and sold it to Edson Hwema for US$5 000.

On the second count, Mhungu allegedly went to a Glow Service Station near Harare Showgrounds along Bulawayo Road on February 27, where he hired another white Toyota Axio (registration number AFM5692).

It is the State’s case that Mhungu posed as Kenneth Change ( ID number 71-031647-L-71) using fake identity particulars before signing a contract to hire the vehicle.

He was supposed to return the car on March 1 but he failed to do so. Instead, while the car was still on hire he once again faked a registration book and sold the car on February 29, to Shadreck Shoniwa.

Shoniwa later discovered the offence and made a police report leading to the arrest of Mhungu and the subsequent recovery of the stolen motor vehicle.