News / National
ZB Bank US$2,7m cash in transit suspect denied bail again
01 Jul 2021 at 14:51hrs | Views
THE High Court has dismissed a second bail appeal by one of the suspects in the US$2,7 million ZB Bank cash-in-transit heist early this year, Trymore Chapfika.
Chapfika is facing armed robbery charges along with 11 other suspects.
The money was en route for distribution to ZB Bank branches in Chinhoyi, Kadoma, Kwekwe, Gweru, Gwanda, Zvishavane, and Bulawayo.
Chapfika has been trying to secure freedom since his arrest with no success and this is the second time he approached the High Court after his initial bid was turned down by Justice Tawanda Chitapi.
According to prosecutors, over US$456 000 was recovered from the US$2,7 million that was stolen from the security company that was transporting the cash to Chinhoyi in January, along with cars that had been bought by the suspects.
Chapfika had approached the court arguing that the decision to deny him bail was unfair.
He also argued that his accomplices were already on bail while he was still locked up.
But Justice Pisirayi Kwenda ruled that his argument did not warrant his freedom.
"This case is a typical example of a trend where co-accused persons, whether deliberately or not, file separate applications and those who do not succeed on the first attempt to ground further or fresh applications on the success of a co-accused person's bail application.
"In my view, the admission of a co-accused to bail does not necessarily constitute a new fact in the personal circumstances of the accused person previously denied bail. In this case, the applicant has already been denied bail. I am not satisfied that the applicant has justified a further application. In the result, this application cannot succeed. It is hereby dismissed."
Chapfika was arrested in January after he allegedly connived to rob a commercial bank transit truck that was transporting money to seven branches across the nation.
A robbery was then stage-managed along the Harare-Chinhoyi highway just after Nyabira Business Centre.
They had reportedly armed themselves with pistols, knives, and three vehicles which they used to stalk the cash in transit.
It is alleged that one of the guards transporting the money had been in contact with the heist crew and had requested the driver to pick up some of the accomplices as passengers.
Once the driver had stopped to drop them off near the Gwebi River the robbers had produced a pistol and fired shots in the air whilst the others subdued the other guards.
Chapfika is facing armed robbery charges along with 11 other suspects.
The money was en route for distribution to ZB Bank branches in Chinhoyi, Kadoma, Kwekwe, Gweru, Gwanda, Zvishavane, and Bulawayo.
Chapfika has been trying to secure freedom since his arrest with no success and this is the second time he approached the High Court after his initial bid was turned down by Justice Tawanda Chitapi.
According to prosecutors, over US$456 000 was recovered from the US$2,7 million that was stolen from the security company that was transporting the cash to Chinhoyi in January, along with cars that had been bought by the suspects.
Chapfika had approached the court arguing that the decision to deny him bail was unfair.
He also argued that his accomplices were already on bail while he was still locked up.
"This case is a typical example of a trend where co-accused persons, whether deliberately or not, file separate applications and those who do not succeed on the first attempt to ground further or fresh applications on the success of a co-accused person's bail application.
"In my view, the admission of a co-accused to bail does not necessarily constitute a new fact in the personal circumstances of the accused person previously denied bail. In this case, the applicant has already been denied bail. I am not satisfied that the applicant has justified a further application. In the result, this application cannot succeed. It is hereby dismissed."
Chapfika was arrested in January after he allegedly connived to rob a commercial bank transit truck that was transporting money to seven branches across the nation.
A robbery was then stage-managed along the Harare-Chinhoyi highway just after Nyabira Business Centre.
They had reportedly armed themselves with pistols, knives, and three vehicles which they used to stalk the cash in transit.
It is alleged that one of the guards transporting the money had been in contact with the heist crew and had requested the driver to pick up some of the accomplices as passengers.
Once the driver had stopped to drop them off near the Gwebi River the robbers had produced a pistol and fired shots in the air whilst the others subdued the other guards.
Source - newzimbabwe
