Suspected armed robber to stand trial

SUSPECTED armed robber Douglas Mutenda, who skipped bail, will now stand trial along with 11 other suspected members of a robbery gang after a Harare magistrate confirmed his warrant of arrest and remanded him in custody following his rearrest.

Mutenda had defaulted attending court after he was freed on bail under suspicious circumstances at the High Court on December 9 and had not been reporting at Glen Norah police station, a condition imposed by the High Court when he was granted bail. During the default inquiry, the court also heard that Mutenda had given the court a wrong address.

Mutenda was arrested in Mhondoro on Christmas Eve.

Explaining his absence on 9 December he told the court that was attending to his ill child in Bocha, Marange, and that the child later died. But he could not offer proof as he said he failed to obtain a letter from the village head or produce a burial order to confirm his child’s death.

He told the court that he decided to visit his sister-in-law in Mhondoro during the holiday and had intended to attend court afterwards.

Magistrate Mrs Judith Taruvinga noted that Mutenda was lying as it was not possible to bury a person without either a letter from the village head or burial order. She then remanded him in custody pending trial where he will be appearing along with other armed robbers.

Mutenda is supposed to stand trial on armed robbery charges on February 17 next year with co-accused.