Four notorious robbers appear in court

FOUR suspected notorious robbers appeared in court for allegedly disguising themselves as police officers and raided 27 houses that belong to Mohammed family armed with an AK47 pistols.

Brighton Mangondo (35), Gerald Rutizira (38) , Trymore Guta Derere (30 )and , Chenjerai Mutsikwi (37) appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei charged with two counts of robbery.

They were remanded in custody to November 28 pending finalisation of investigations.

Two of the accomplices, Ishmael Matungira and Mugove Chimuti are now deceased.

Prosecutor Ms Ethel Mahachi alleged that on July 16 at around 9pm the accused persons in the company of Leonard Magumura who is still at large, Lloyd Hove who is in remand at Chinhoyi Prisons raided 27 houses that are owned by the Mohammed family whilst dressed in police uniforms being armed with two AK 47 riffles and a revolver pistol.

They pretended to be investigating a robbery case and apprehended the security guard and made him to knock on the doors of fellow employees whom they force marched into one room.

The suspects threatened to shoot them with the riffles and were made to surrender their cellphones and cash. They also proceeded to the main houses where they threatened to shoot occupants and took away their cash and cellphones amounting to US$2 700.

The State also alleged that on July 11 at around 1am the accused persons went to Chinhoyi Farm Bricks, Hünyani to steal while armed with two AK 47 rifles and two pistols.

The accused persons apprehended the security guards and tied them with ropes and force marched them to the house of one security officer Edzai Charehwa.

They forced one of the guards to ask Charehwa to open his door so that they could enter and rob him.

He complied and they were successful in stealing his US$1 300 and left him tied like others.

Meanwhile, Mangondo and Rutizira appeared before the same magistrate with another charge of robbery where they went away with US$12 000.

They were remanded in custody to the same date.

The pair and their accomplices mentioned above approached the complainant Shepherd Moyo, the guard at Alliance Ginneries Norton and Afrochine Darwendale campus.

They acted as if they were members of the police who were looking for an accused working with Moyo.

The accused persons forced entry into the premises while inside they manhandled Moyo and demanded to be shown the offices where they keep the money.

They disarmed Moyo his 12-bore shotgun charged with three rounds, cash amounting to US$11 600.

On the second incident, they force marched complainant Misheck Mbata to the offices where they entered and took away one laptop and a cellphone all valued at US$ 1 200.

Mangondo and Rutizira started moving around the factory and they met the other guard who they started firing at and the two then fled from the scene using Rutizira’s motor vehicle a Mercedes Benz and another vehicle owned by the late Matungira.

The accused persons robbed Moyo of property valued at US$12 800 and nothing was recovered.