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Tendai Rupapa: Senior Court Reporter

Two ex-convicts released recently under the Presidential amnesty allegedly connived with five others and stole more than 20 cattle in Domboshava in less than two months. Felistas Mulambo, Estery Mupunyuki, Darlington Mabika, Robson Kandemire, Amos Mupunyuki, Getrude Madotsa and Nyasha Makulumo yesterday appeared before magistrate Ms Rumbidzayi Mugwagwa facing 23 counts of stocktheft.Mulambo and Mupunyuki were released under the Presidential amnesty after serving several years for the same offence. Their alleged accomplice, only identified as Mai Lee who is also an ex-convict, is on the run.

Prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa opposed bail arguing that the gang was likely to abscond if released on bail. To bolster its opposition to bail, the State called the investigations officer who concurred with the State’s submis- sions.

“The accused persons are facing a serious offence and if convicted they will be sentenced to a longer prison term. This might be an inducement for them to flee the jurisdiction of this court,” he said.

“Mulambo and Estery are unrepentant thieves considering that they once committed a similar offence and served a jail term and now they have committed the same offence.

“The accused persons were apprehended by locals in Domboshava while they were in possession of the meat and the apparatus they used in slaughtering the beasts. They actually admitted to the offences and made indications to the police on how they committed the offences.”

Through their lawyer, Mr Gwinyai Shumba, the gang denied the allegations.

Mr Shumba said his clients were innocent until proven guilty.

He added that the seriousness of an offence on its own was not sufficient grounds to deny an accused person bail which he said was a right as enshrined in the new Constitution.

After hearing submissions from both counsels, Ms Mugwagwa remanded the gang in custody and rolled over the matter to today for bail ruling. Allegations are that on various occasions between August 11 and October 14 the gang stole cattle from different people.

They were allegedly found in possession of meat, knives, plastic bags and ropes which they used in committing the offence.