The ManicaPost
Weekender Correspondent —
A Mutare service station owner is at risk of going to prison for four months if he fails to raise the $250 fine he was ordered to pay after he was convicted of operating without a licence last week.
Thompson Rwatikunda (36) was convicted on his own guilty plea when he appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mr Poterai Gwezhira.
Public Prosecutor, Mr Fletcher Karombe represented the State.
Rwatikunda was being charged with contravening Section 29(1) of the petroleum act number 11/2006 Chapter 13:22 which is otherwise known as operating a service station without a licence.
In passing his sentence, Mr Gwezhira said it was important to take note that Rwatikunda had not wasted the court’s time and that he was also in the process of obtaining the operating licence.
He however, said there was need to warn other sprouting service station owners that it was a crime to operate without a licence and thus the fine.
Allegations were that on December 13, 2016 and at around 1200hrs, police detectives who were on patrol around the Mutare CBD observed Rwatikunda selling diesel at a service station located at number 61, 5th street.
“They approached him and introduced themselves before ordering him to produce his operating licence. Rwatikunda however, failed to produce the operating licence and was subsequently arrested and brought to the Mutare Central Police Station for further investigations,” said Mr Karombe.
Asked on why he had been operating without the said licence, Rwatikunda told the court that he was in the process of obtaining the operating licence.
He was ordered to have paid the $250 fine by January 30, 2016.
