A 30-YEAR-OLD old Bulawayo car dealer-cum socialite appeared in court in connection with the theft of a South African registered Toyota Fortuner, stolen from a car wash in the CBD last week.
Brighton Chipunza aka “Dash” has been placed at the centre of the crime, after his WhatsApp chats with the supposed Harare based buyer were discovered.
The vehicle was recovered from a suspected accomplice named Julius Chitubhu in Harare, after the owner of the vehicle Silibaziso Ncube, through the assistance of a vehicle tracking company and police detectives located it using GPS.
It was reported that on November 18 and at around 1000 AM, Ncube assigned her employee Jonathan Ngando Thuli 35, to take the vehicle to the Tunnel car wash for cleaning.
“He then drove the vehicle to the car wash and left it with Panashe Dube who works at the car wash. Dube cleaned the vehicle and parked it outside the car wash under a tree shed.”
“He secured the vehicle by locking all the doors and windows and took the car keys with him to the car wash where he placed them on top of the hoover and continued with his daily duties,” read the document.
It was reported that at around 4PM on the same day, Ncube went to the car wash to collect her vehicle and discovered that it was missing.
She inquired with staff, who to her shock revealed that it had been stolen.
The matter was then reported to the police. Members of the Vehicle Theft Squad (VTS) conducted investigations at the car wash and discovered that CCTV cameras at the facility had been deactivated.
On November 19 the tracking system indicated that the vehicle was in Harare.
“The stolen vehicle was found parked at Chitunhu’s yard with the frontand rear number plates were missing.”
The engine chasis number had also been grinded.
Source: The Chronicle
