Cops up for stealing 7t of gold ore
TWO police officers have been arrested after they allegedly used an AK-47 rifle to rob two gold panners of seven tonnes of ore in the Wimpy area on the outskirts of Masvingo.
The officers Pius Nyarumbwa (31) and Austin Mharakurwa (30) who are stationed at ZRP Zimuto Camp, allegedly proceeded to hire a truck and milled the ore from which they recovered and sold 2,2 grammes of gold worth US$52.
They have since appeared before Masvingo magistrate Ms Patience Madondo facing two counts of armed robbery, one count of extortion and two counts contravening the Firearms Act (Pointing a Firearm).
Ms Madondo did not ask them to plead and remanded them in custody to April 30.
Allegations against the duo are that sometime early this month, they got information that Garless Chirindo and Kudakwashe Huchu were panning for gold at Beep One Mountain near Wimpy on the outskirts of the city.
They allegedly proceeded to the mountain while dressed in police gear with Mharakurwa armed with an AK-47 rifle.
Chirindo and Huchu allegedly fled from the scene when the pair approached them, leaving behind their gold ore.
The following day, the accused hired a lorry to collect the ore.
When Chirindo and Huchu learnt that the accused were collecting their ore they confronted them, but were forced to lie down and subjected to beatings before being ordered to load the ore into the lorry.
The accused allegedly took the ore to Gold Source Mine where it was milled. They dropped off the complainants at their homes and left.
The following day, Chirindo and Huchu reported the matter to the police.
On April 6 at around 6pm, Nyarumbwa and Mharakurwa hired a taxi to Aphias Mhari’s gold mine near Manyama Business Centre and demanded to see his mining licence.
Mhari allegedly told them he did not have one and they demanded cash from him. He told the accused he was going to collect the money and moved a short distance away.
He phoned the Officer-in-Charge CID Minerals in Masvingo Inspector Innocent Gonye, who teamed up with other police officers and drove to the mine.
Upon arrival, Insp Gonye identified himself and told the accused they were under arrest for extortion.
Mharakurwa and Nyarumbwa allegedly requested to speak to Insp Gonye in private and they produced an AK-47 and pointed it at him before they fled in the dark.
Insp Gonye went to Support Unit Zimuto Camp where a parade was held and it was discovered that Nyarumbwa and Mharakurwa were absent.
Cellphones recovered by Insp Gonye after the accused fled were identified as theirs, leading to their arrest.
Mr Nixon Chamisa appeared for the State.