A CENTRAL Intelligence Organisation (CIO) officer was arrested last Thursday for allegedly stealing beer, perfumes and a laptop from Agriculture deputy minister Davis Mharapira.
Nyasha Matonhodze (41) appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court on Saturday to answer to the charges.
He was granted $30 000 bail and ordered to report at Milton Park Police Station every fortnight on Fridays.
Matonhodze is employed by the President’s Office at Hardwick House, and he is Mharapira's aide de camp.
It is the State’s case that on October 21 this year, Mharapira allegedly locked all the doors and windows at his house when he left for Masvingo, leaving the accused person in charge of the house.
Matonhodze was allegedly given the keys to the house, which he used to gain entry to the house. It is averred that the complainant had given the accused permission to open the house for prospective buyers to view it since it was on sale.
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It is alleged that on October 26, the complainant returned from Masvingo to discover that his laptop, an HP Spectra and charger, a Seiko wrist watch, expensive perfumes, sugar beans and Glenfidich whisky, which is 18 years old, were missing from the house.
He also noticed that there was no forced entry or any sign of a break-in, and a key was used to open the door to the house.
The deputy minister then filed a police report.
The stolen property is valued at US$4 675 and R39 000, equivalent to $34 559 750 in local currency. Nothing was recovered.
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