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Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A BOTSWANA national has been arrested after he was found in possession of a vehicle stolen from a South African salesman. The vehicle was stolen by unknown men from Lindelani Brian Sikhosana who works at Imperial Select in Durban on January 8. Ngwako Serumula, 37, who is from Gaborone area, appeared before Plumtree magistrate, Livard Philemon, facing charges of receiving stolen property.

He was remanded in custody to April 30 pending further investigations.

Serumula denied the allegations after stating that he was unaware that the vehicle had been stolen.

“I wasn’t aware that the car had been stolen because I bought it after a transaction that appeared to be genuine to me. I bought it from a salesman from Botswana. I was tricked Your Worship because I had no idea that the documents I was given for the car were fake,” said Serumula.

Prosecuting, Clemence Shawarira said on March 29, the Botswana national arrived at Mphoengs Border Post in Mangwe while driving a silver Mercedes Benz vehicle which had Botswana number plates.

He said Serumula went through all the formalities at the Zimra and Immigration offices where he produced a temporary export permit for the vehicle and a motor vehicle registration book which authorised him to use the vehicle outside his country.

“He was then intercepted by police who discovered that the motor vehicle registration book was fake and that the vehicle chassis number had been altered which led to his arrest,” said Shawarira.

He said police detectives inquired with the Botswana Police Service where they discovered that the registration numbers which Serumula was using belonged to a different car belonging to another Botswana national.

“Further investigations with the South African Police Services revealed that the vehicle had been stolen by unknown persons from Lindelani Brian Sikhosana on January 8 in Durban,” said Shawarira.

He said the complainant arrived at the Plumtree Border Post on April 13 in the company of South African police detectives where he positively identified the vehicle in question as his.

Shawarira said the South African salesman also produced spare keys which he managed to use to open and switch on the engine of the vehicle.

He said the value of the stolen vehicle is R350, 000.