Jacob Mutemeri, a 49-year-old Air Zimbabwe employee, has been accused of stealing Jet A1 fuel from his employer’s plane at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport. Mutemeri allegedly devised a plan to steal the fuel from a Boeing 737 named “Mbuya Nehanda” while it was parked for maintenance in November 2024. The plane had reported a fuel leak and was carrying 6.3 tonnes of fuel.
According to reports, Mutemeri drained fuel from the aircraft nightly between November 15 and 22, 2024. He used an Air Zimbabwe Nissan Navara vehicle to transfer the fuel into containers. Surveillance footage caught him entering the hangar multiple times, including on November 15, 16, and 18, always exiting through Gate A3 in the early hours of the morning.
Mutemeri has been charged with theft and granted US$150 bail by a Harare magistrate. He is set to return to court on January 23, 2025. The incident raises concerns about the security and management of Air Zimbabwe’s assets.
Dandaro Online
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