News / National
Stolen police service pistol used in nine robberies
02 Oct 2012 at 10:24hrs | Views
Five men reportedly stole a service pistol from a Masvingo-based policeman and used it to commit nine robberies in one night in and around Harare.
Three of the suspects have since been arrested, while their accomplices are on the run. Tinei Chimucheka (22) of Mangare Village, Mt Darwin and Athanas Munyonga (33) of Maunga Village, Gutu allegedly connived with William Audius Takundwa to commit the robberies.
They pounced on all their victims on February 11 this year in Mvurwi, Centenary, Mt Darwin, Madziva Mine and Glen View 2 in Harare.
The quartet stole property worth over US$5 000 that night.
Takundwa reportedly suffered mental challenges weeks after the alleged robberies. They pleaded not guilty to nine counts of armed robbery when they appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Fadzai Mthombeni who remanded them in custody to October 4 for trial.
The State led by prosecutor Mr Allan Goche alleges that on the day in question, the three who were with Luckmore Chibira and Vincent Didy, who are still at large, teamed up and went to Mvurwi to rob people.
They posed as genuine commuters and waved down passing vehicles, it is alleged. One Stewart Ndoro stopped to offer them a lift.
It is alleged that one of the men produced a pistol and pointed it at Ndoro while the others cut off seat belts which they used to tie his hands and legs together.
They took off his shirt and blindfolded him before taking charge of the vehicle.
They drove for more than 300 metres in the Mvurwi direction and tied Ndoro to a tree in a bush before disappearing with the car, the court heard.
The four then drove to Centenary, Mt Darwin, Madziva Mine and Glen View 2 the same night robbing people.
The offence came to light on February 17 when police received a tip off and arrested Chibira in Domboshava.
Chibira then implicated Chimucheka, Munyonga and Takundwa before he escaped from police custody.
Three of the suspects have since been arrested, while their accomplices are on the run. Tinei Chimucheka (22) of Mangare Village, Mt Darwin and Athanas Munyonga (33) of Maunga Village, Gutu allegedly connived with William Audius Takundwa to commit the robberies.
They pounced on all their victims on February 11 this year in Mvurwi, Centenary, Mt Darwin, Madziva Mine and Glen View 2 in Harare.
The quartet stole property worth over US$5 000 that night.
Takundwa reportedly suffered mental challenges weeks after the alleged robberies. They pleaded not guilty to nine counts of armed robbery when they appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Fadzai Mthombeni who remanded them in custody to October 4 for trial.
The State led by prosecutor Mr Allan Goche alleges that on the day in question, the three who were with Luckmore Chibira and Vincent Didy, who are still at large, teamed up and went to Mvurwi to rob people.
It is alleged that one of the men produced a pistol and pointed it at Ndoro while the others cut off seat belts which they used to tie his hands and legs together.
They took off his shirt and blindfolded him before taking charge of the vehicle.
They drove for more than 300 metres in the Mvurwi direction and tied Ndoro to a tree in a bush before disappearing with the car, the court heard.
The four then drove to Centenary, Mt Darwin, Madziva Mine and Glen View 2 the same night robbing people.
The offence came to light on February 17 when police received a tip off and arrested Chibira in Domboshava.
Chibira then implicated Chimucheka, Munyonga and Takundwa before he escaped from police custody.
Source - TH
