Zim convict claims he is police informant

Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday March 17, 2014 15:59

Barnabas Musekiwa, who is a plumber, was arraigned before Monametsi after being arrested with a Nokia 920 smart phone suspected to be stolen. He was nabbed during a raid for illegal immigrants at White City in February. Musekiwa was apprehended after he failed to produce a receipt that proves that he owns the phone. The phone was presented before court as evidence.

In his defence, Musekiwa told the court that he bought the phone from a stranger who cried for help. He said that he bought the phone for P1,200 from a man who claimed to have an emergency at home. He pleaded guilty of possession of suspected stolen goods.

In mitigation, Musekiwa asked the court to be merciful to him as he is a divorced single parent. He said that he takes care of his children and sick mother in Zimbabwe. He said that if he goes to jail, the dependants would suffer, as he is the family breadwinner. He vowed to never buy goods without a receipt again. He told the court that he had never been in trouble with the law and he is a police informant. He said he works with Urban Police Station CID and he is a loyal informant. 

Monametsi advised Musekiwa to always get receipts for all the items he buys as that is the only way he can prove ownership. The accused failed to give the contacts of the man who sold him the phone but he stated that if he saw him, he could identify him. Musekiwa was sentenced to a one-year jail term suspended for three years and five strokes. Monametsi told the court that if the accused fails to comply with the sentence, he would be sent to jail.