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MBABANE – Four men who allegedly robbed a woman of a motor vehicle and other items valued at E61 270 and pointed a firearm at a police officer, have been granted bail.

Judge Zonke Magagula yesterday granted the quartet of Benson Shabalala, Jackie Chuene, Thubelihle Dlamini and Sanele Mamba bail in the sum of E50 000. They were ordered to pay E5 000 in cash and provide sureties for the balance. The accused persons were represented by Maqhawe Dlamini of Mhlanga-Dlamini Attorneys.

They were charged with armed robbery and contravening the Police Act No. 2 of 2018. The accused persons are alleged to have robbed Samkelisiwe Dlamini of a silver grey Corsa valued at E45 000, cash amounting to E2 000, a Samsung television set valued at E5 000 and a cellphone, among other items.

In their bail application, the accused persons told the court that one Bongani Khumalo and others were the ones who robbed Dlamini. Shabalala submitted that he was in the company of the other accused persons when he received a call from Khumalo, who requested him to purchase petrol for him since the car he was driving had run out of fuel.

Petrol

He said he bought the petrol at Manzini Central Galp Filling Station, as requested by Khumalo, and proceeded to Matsetsa. He said the petrol was in a 5-litre container and upon arrival at Matsetsa, he and his co-accused found a silver grey Corsa parked on the side of the road but there was nobody insight.

Shabalala said they alighted from their vehicle with the fuel and were perplexed to see police officers pointing guns at them. The police, according to Shabalala, searched their car and found nothing. Shabalala informed the court that the police found a number of items in the Corsa and they were arrested for robbery.

According to Shabalala, he learnt that Khumalo and his companions allegedly went to Dlamini’s house looking for her husband who had robbed them of their dagga. He said they did not find him and decided to take the Corsa and other items instead.