A police captain who allegedly gave two illegal Zimbabweans 14 blankets in exchange for 14 stolen goats from Zimbabwe was granted R1 000 bail during his court appearance at the Mutale Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Mirror learnt that Capt Solomon Tshililo Ndou (52) was arrested together with an accomplice, Martha Munyai (53) by the Tshamutumbu police last Thursday for contravening the Animal Disease Act and the Contravention of the Excise and Control Act.

It is alleged that the farm owner of Veeskraal saw the two illegal Zimbabweans passing by his farm with 14 goats on December 3. The farmer stopped them and, upon his enquiry about the goats, the two revealed that they were going to hand over the goats to a police captain at Gundani village in exchange for the 14 blankets he had given them. The farmer then alerted the police who came and arrested the two illegal immigrants. The arrest of Ndou and Munyai came after the Crime Intillegence Gathering Unit of Musina SAPS followed the lead to Zimbabwe to search for and confiscate the blankets. One blanket was missing when the other 13 blankets were confiscated in Zimbabwe.

According to the police, the two illegal immigrants are alleged to be Ndou's employees. On Monday, Munyai was released on warning and Ndou was granted bail of R1 000. He is due to appear in the Mutale Magistrate’s Court on January 19, 2006.