Cop denied bail in vehicle robbery case

THE High Court has dismissed a bail application for a police officer who is facing a vehicle robbery charge.

Justice Rodgers Manyangadze ruled that Edmore Nyamaropa is facing a serious offence and, as a police officer, he was supposed to be exemplary to the society.

He said there is a strong case against Nyamaropa, who committed the offence, while he was on duty.

Nyamaropa and his colleague Magwenzi are being accused of threatening a complainant and robbing him a brand new Prado at a fuel station in Beitbridge.

The two police officers were stationed at ZRP Beitbridge Rural.

Through his lawyer, Nyamaropa denied the allegations and told the court that he was innocent.

“My client was on duty on the day in question,” said the lawyer.

“The gun was booked for patrol so my client had not planned to rob anyone.

“The complainant just assumed that my client, and his accomplices, wanted to rob him and he abandoned his vehicle and ran away.

“He also said he saw other men, who were traveling in a Honda Fit, and thought they wanted to rob him as well.

“The complainant was just assuming that everyone wanted to rob him.”

The Judge however, asked why did Nyamaropa wait to be called by the Dispol, two weeks after the offence was committed?

“Why did he fail to report what had happened to his superiors before investigations were conducted and linked him to the offence?”

The lawyer said Nyamaropa thought his colleague Andrew Magwenzi had booked the vehicle

The court heard that on April 17, the complainant, who is a government employee, left Mandi Lodge and drove to the Puma Service Station where he wanted to re-fuel.

It is alleged that when he arrived, Nyamaropa, Magwenzi and Prince Kuchekenya who is on the run, approached him driving in an unmarked Corolla.

The trio then pointed pistols at the complainant and ordered him to surrender his vehicle.

It is alleged that Magwenzi then drove to the car to Harare where he sold it in a bid to conceal the crime.