Lydia Koto
A 27 year-old Masvingo Polytechnic student Werb Tasara was acquitted by Masvingo magistrate Phillip Makodo on September 27, 2022 after being charged with unlawful entry and theft of a cellphone which belonged to Lovemore Dube of Mucheke D suburb.
The state represented by Prosecutor Tatenda Dzitiro alleged that on December 25, 2018 at around 2350 hours, Dube left his silver-black tablet on the table to charge in the dining room as he went to sleep.
Tasara reportedly went to the complainant’s house and used unknown means to open the dining window, took the cellphone and went away unnoticed.
The phone was recovered at Tsungai complex after Dube saw it where Tasara was working.
However, Tasara denied the allegations saying he did not steal the phone but a man called Arnold Musariri came to Tsungai complex where he was doing his part time job of repairing cellphones asking for repairing of his malfunctioning phone.
After the repairing service, Musariri then refused to pay the money which Tasara had charged saying he did not have money and that is when the former decided to give Tasara a non-working phone and little money.
“I did not steal the phone but l was given by Arnold Musariri after repairing his cellphone since he said he did not have enough money to pay for my service,” Tasara said.
Makondo asked the accused on the whereabouts of Musariri but Tasara said that he do not know where he was since his number was no longer reachable.
Tasara was found not guilty as there was no tangible evidence.
