2 ZRP Cops Share Stolen USD107,000

Source: ZimEye

Harare, Zimbabwe - In a dramatic turn of events, Marvellous Mapfumo, a 34-year-old maid from Chitungwiza, has pleaded guilty to stealing US$107,000 from her Chinese employer, Mr. Sisi Lin, an accountant at Tian-tian Fresh Mart Supermarket. Mapfumo, who is set to be sentenced today, shared the stolen money with two police officers who have since gone on the run.

The court heard that Mr. Lin habitually kept large sums of money in a drawer in his bedroom. Mapfumo, while cleaning, noticed the accumulating funds and confided in her boyfriend, Herbert Chikwiza Kurebgwaseka. Kurebgwaseka advised her to wait until a substantial amount had accumulated before executing the theft.

On May 30, Mapfumo stole the full US$107,000 from Mr. Lin. She then shared the money with Kurebgwaseka and another police officer, Paul Kondo, who had promised to protect her. The two officers took US$60,000, while Mapfumo retained US$47,000.

Kurebgwaseka subsequently took possession of Mapfumo's share, claiming it was for her protection as he suspected they were being tracked by detectives. After her arrest near Bulawayo while attempting to flee the country, Mapfumo was taken back to CID Highlands in Harare, where she implicated Kurebgwaseka and Kondo in the crime.

Further investigations revealed that Kondo had taken Mapfumo to his girlfriend's house in Sunningdale, restricting her from communicating with others while he arranged for her to escape to South Africa. Between May 30 and June 11, Mapfumo stayed with Kondo's girlfriend, who later helped her find a rental property in Glen View 3 and purchased some household items for her.

On June 12, 2024, detectives from CID Nkulumane in Bulawayo received a tip from three sources indicating that Mapfumo had boarded a truck heading to South Africa via Botswana. Acting on this information, the detectives intercepted the truck and arrested Mapfumo. Authorities have since seized the property purchased with the stolen money and a Honda Fit owned by Kondo, which was used in the commission of the crime.

As Mapfumo faces her sentencing, the search for Kurebgwaseka and Kondo continues, with the police urging anyone with information about their whereabouts to come forward.- Agencies