A 33-year-old Ivory Park taxi driver was convicted of car theft on March 7 after he failed to return a Toyota Venture, used as a taxi, to its owner.
According to the spokesman for Norkem Park SAPS, Capt Lesibana Molokomme, Kwinda Ernest Masonono was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, of which two years were suspended for five years, in Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court.
The owner of the vehicle opened a case of car theft at Norkem Park SAPS on July 25, 2013. He said he had hired Masonono as a taxi driver to use his Venture to transport commuters around Tembisa.
The agreement was that, in the early hours of the morning, Masonono would go to the vehicle owner’s house in Birch Acres to collect the Venture, transport people during the day, then take it back to him at night.
On the night of July 24, 2013, Masonono did not return with the car as per agreement. Even after the owner tried to contact him, he did not find him. The owner of the car then went to open a case at the police station the next day.
“The suspect was found in Ivory Park on September 16. He was forced to take the police to where the stolen vehicle was in Hospital View in Tembisa.
“On arrival, the police officers found that the car had already been changed. It was painted a new colour and the disc ownership was also changed,” Molokomme said.
