A 24-year-old man from Dulibadzimu, Beitbridge, has been arrested after allegedly faking the theft of a rented vehicle.
Douglas Chinoona had conspired with a friend to illegally export the car to Lusaka, Zambia, with plans to sell it there.
Chinoona told H-Metro that he lost US$2,400 intended for a lobola ceremony and a white Toyota GD6 (AGE 4106) he had rented from Good 2 Go Car Rental while staying at a lodge in Harare.
He claimed that he had booked the lodge for one night on his way to Murehwa for the ceremony.
While at the lodge, Chinoona claimed he was awakened by staff who informed him that two men had arrived with a set of keys, claiming they were authorised by the car rental company to retrieve the vehicle. He subsequently reported the alleged theft at Mabelreign Police Station.
However, in a statement issued on Friday, Good 2 Go Car Rental revealed that investigations by the Vehicle Theft Squad (VTS) concluded that Chinoona had fabricated the robbery. The investigation confirmed that he had indeed colluded with his friend to export the car illegally.
Chinoona has since been arrested and is facing charges of vehicle theft and providing false information to the police.
The car rental company also asserted that Chinoona neither had the money for lobola nor any genuine intention to pay. Reads the statement:
Our attention has been drawn to an article published in lifestyle tabloid H-Metro on Friday 1 November 2024, in which the writer alleges that one Douglas Chinoona was robbed of our Toyota Hilux and US$2400 purportedly for lobola, was also stolen.
The matter of fact is that we did hire the vehicle in question (pictured below) to Chinoona on Sunday 27 October.
The following day, Monday 28 October, he called to inform us that the vehicle had been stolen at a lodge in Mabelreign and he reported the matter to Mabelreign Police Station.
Upon investigations by the Vehicle Theft Squad (VTS), it emerged that Chinoona faked a robbery and connived with his friend to illegally export the car to Lusaka, Zambia and sell it there.
Chinoona, who has since been arrested and is in Police custody facing charges of vehicle theft and the supply of false information to the Police, had neither money for lobola nor the intention to pay any -it was just a tactic he tried to use to fool Good 2 Go Car Rental, as well as the police.
Be guided accordingly.
More: Pindula News