Cheeky thief in daring raid on CIO HQ

Cheeky thief in daring raid on CIO HQ

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By Lindie Whiz
Posted to the web: 05/05/2009 15:37:26
ONLY a brave man or a complete fool would attempt to rob a building which houses Zimbabwe’s notorious Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO).

But one cheeky thief did just that and on Monday, he was banged up for two years by a Bulawayo magistrate.

The court heard how Arnold Gogo, 25, circumvented the 24-hour security at the Magnet House CIO headquarters in Bulawayo and stole a laptop, HP monitor, a disc drive, a modem and other computer accessories valued at US$1,040.

The stolen items belonged to the Central Statistical Office (CSO) which shares the building with the CIO.

Prosecuting, Jeremiah Mutsindikwa told the court how on the night of April 21, this year, Gogo went into a sanitary lane at the back of the supposedly heavily-guarded building on Main Street and climbed over a wall without detection.

He clambered up to the 2nd Floor of the building where he saw a broken window which he opened from outside. He got into office Number 5, housing the CSO, and ransacked all four rooms.

A major investigation involving both the police and the CIO was launched the next morning. Gogo was arrested and all the stolen property recovered through his indications, the prosecutor said.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful entry and theft. Magistrate Singandu Jele conditionally suspended a year of Gogo’s three-year sentence.

CIO agents have a notorious reputation as old as Zimbabwe’s Independence of using torture during interrogation and even killing on the directions of politicians.
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