Police Armoury Boss Denied Bail, 55 Rifles Vanish

A High Court judge has dismissed a bail application pending appeal by Chinhoyi police armoury officer-in-charge Inspector Clive Kadambure, Edmore Manuwere, former police officer Wonder Kwaramba, and Patrick Chirara, who are facing charges of smuggling arms and ammunition out of the country.

High Court judge, Justice Benjamin Chikowero last week ruled that the four were not suitable candidates for bail as robberies committed using firearms, both registered and unregistered, were on the increase. Said Justice Chikowero:

In my judgment, the sense of peace and security among members of the public will be undermined by the release of applicants.

This is so because even at the bail hearing stage, the picture which is before me is that 55 high calibre firearms have fallen into the wrong hands.

Fifty-five rifles are still unaccounted for.

Three different firearms dealers reportedly sold the weapons to Kadambure over five years from 2016 to this year.

At least 22 counts were preferred against Manuwere over the same period with five dealers said to have sold him the weapons.

He allegedly sold 20 of them to poachers and armed robbers. Some are alleged to have been shipped out of the country.

Kwaramba is facing 17 counts, some of which arose from alleged dealings in firearms.

Curiously, six out of the 17 counts Kwaramba is facing are alleged to have been committed after he had left the police service. He resigned from the ZRP two years ago.

Chirara is charged with nine counts. Seven counts relate to alleged dealing in firearms in 2019, and two counts committed this year while nine rifles were involved, with two registered firearms dealers having sold the weapons to Chirara.

More: NewZimbabwe.com