-Police Officers Accused of Arson and Theft to Appear in Court for Bail Ruling.

The three police officers from Harare, Zimbabwe, who stand accused of orchestrating a break-in, theft, and arson at the Harare Central Stores office, are set to appear in court tomorrow for a pivotal bail ruling. Stanley Musekiwa (46), Takaidza Mugwisi (36), and Masimba Stanley Gwasunda (43), all affiliated with the ZRP CID Stores, have been under scrutiny since the alleged incident occurred.

The trio has been charged with theft and malicious damage to property in connection with an incident that took place on June 23. According to the State’s case presented before Harare magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa, the officers allegedly staged a break-in and theft of approximately US$45,000 from the CID Stores office. To cover their tracks, they reportedly set the office ablaze, leading to significant damage to the building and its contents.

Inspector Stanley Musekiwa, who serves as the Officer-in-Charge of CID Stores and Business Harare, along with his subordinates Takaidza Mugwisi and Masimba Stanley Gwasunda, allegedly conspired to hide the stolen cash. The money, amounting to US$40,500, had been recovered from a suspect involved in unlawful entry and theft in Belvedere, Harare. Instead of securing the money as instructed, Musekiwa and Gwasunda reportedly concealed it in a four-plate stove oven drawer within office 26 of CID Stores and Business Harare.

Events took a more sinister turn on August 6, when Mugwisi was deployed for night duty to safeguard CID offices, including the exhibit room. During the same night, around 1 am, the three officers allegedly took advantage of a power outage caused by an electrical fault at Harare Central Police Station. Seizing the opportunity, they are accused of orchestrating a staged break-in by cutting the padlock keys securing the screen gate with a bolt cutter.

While they reportedly possessed keys to enter the room, the accused officers chose to cut the screen gate to deflect suspicion. Subsequently, they allegedly accessed the four-plate stove’s oven drawer and stole the cash stored there. The suspects are also suspected of stealing other undisclosed exhibits from the room.

Following the alleged theft, the officers are accused of setting fire to the room, causing extensive damage to the building and its contents. The exact value of the destroyed exhibits and the extent of structural damage remain to be quantified.

During the bail hearing, the State opposed granting bail to the accused officers, citing concerns about their potential to flee. The court is set to determine whether the officers will be released on bail as they await further legal proceedings. The case has garnered significant attention due to the involvement of law enforcement officers in the alleged criminal activities.

As the nation awaits the bail ruling, questions regarding the officers’ motives and the potential repercussions of their actions continue to mount. The outcome of tomorrow’s hearing could have far-reaching implications for both the accused officers and the criminal justice system in Zimbabwe.- state media