Police inspector arrested for selling firearms to ...

Police inspector arrested for selling firearms to the public

Zim Now Writer

A police inspector who, with his accomplice, sold guns to members of the public has been arrested.

This came after the three Domboshava businessmen, who had bought the guns, complained that the certificates that came with the guns had the wrong addresses, leading to the arrest of the two illegal gun dealers.

Inspector Kudakwashe Chatikobo, of Fairbridge Support Unit camp is part of a team that includes Tonderai Shenje, who has already appeared in court on similar allegations.

Chatikobo was not asked to plead to the charges when he appeared before magistrate Evelyn Mashavakure charged with three counts of unlawful dealing in firearms.

It is alleged that in 2020, Chatikobo and Shenje approached a Domboshava businessman, Kennedy Tapfumaneyi Warikandwa, and promised to help him with a firearm for his protection since he had been previously a victim of armed robbery.

Between April and May 2020, Shenje led Warikandwa to Mkuhusi Camp Depot in Harare’s upper Avenues where they sold him a 615 CZ pistol serial number 8302541 for US$350, asking him to collect the firearm on completion of the registration process.

It is alleged that the two later handed the firearm and a certificate to Warikandwa but the certificate had a wrong address.

The two promised to correct the anomaly on renewal of the certificate.

It is also alleged that Shenje approached business partners, Ronald Butsu and Flavious Mavhunga, Shenje and his accomplice took the two to Mkuhusi Camp Depot where they sold a 6,35 Baby FN pistol for US$230 to Butsu and a 6,35 Raven pistol to Mavhunga for the same price.

The addresses that were written on the certificates were wrong and when they went to the Central Firearms Registry to have the anomaly rectified, that is when they discovered that they were not properly registered.