News / Local
Armed robbers released from prison
12 Jul 2021 at 07:36hrs | Views
Notorious armed robber Luckmore Matambanadzo, who was serving a nine-year sentence for robbing a Harare couple of an Isuzu KB250 vehicle at gunpoint in 2008, has been released from prison.
Matambanadzo, who was jailed in 2013 and lost an appeal against conviction and sentence at the High Court in 2014, was released two weeks ago.
Matambanadzo has a pending case as he is alleged to have been among six prisoners, including jailed cleric Robert Martin Gumbura, facing attempted prison break charges. Their review of their application for discharge over prison break charges at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison in 2015 is pending.
Matambanadzo, who allegedly masterminded a series of high profile armed robberies while also operating with jailed serial robbery suspect — Musa Taj Abdul — was released together with his accomplice Thomas Chacha.
Prison and police sources yesterday confirmed Matambanadzo and Chacha's release from prison.
A Harare Regional Court convicted Matambanadzo in 2008 of robbing a city couple of an Isuzu KB250 vehicle at gunpoint. The vehicle was recovered at a roadblock in Chiredzi where Matambanadzo had sent twins Elphanet and John Shana to deliver it to a buyer.
He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and three years were conditionally set aside, but was released on bail pending appeal.
Matambanadzo then appealed at the High Court against conviction and sentence, but the Appeal Court in 2014 upheld the magistrate's decision.
The then Judge President George Chiweshe ruled that the magistrate properly convicted and sentenced Matambanadzo and that there was no misdirection on his part.
Matambanadzo, who was jailed in 2013 and lost an appeal against conviction and sentence at the High Court in 2014, was released two weeks ago.
Matambanadzo has a pending case as he is alleged to have been among six prisoners, including jailed cleric Robert Martin Gumbura, facing attempted prison break charges. Their review of their application for discharge over prison break charges at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison in 2015 is pending.
Matambanadzo, who allegedly masterminded a series of high profile armed robberies while also operating with jailed serial robbery suspect — Musa Taj Abdul — was released together with his accomplice Thomas Chacha.
Prison and police sources yesterday confirmed Matambanadzo and Chacha's release from prison.
A Harare Regional Court convicted Matambanadzo in 2008 of robbing a city couple of an Isuzu KB250 vehicle at gunpoint. The vehicle was recovered at a roadblock in Chiredzi where Matambanadzo had sent twins Elphanet and John Shana to deliver it to a buyer.
He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and three years were conditionally set aside, but was released on bail pending appeal.
Matambanadzo then appealed at the High Court against conviction and sentence, but the Appeal Court in 2014 upheld the magistrate's decision.
The then Judge President George Chiweshe ruled that the magistrate properly convicted and sentenced Matambanadzo and that there was no misdirection on his part.
Source - the herald
