By Staff Reporter
Five suspected armed robbers have appeared before Gokwe/ Nembudziya Magistrates Court facing two counts of robbery and two counts of attempted murder.
Alfa Hove (20), Viwe Mashiyi (33), Shepherd Chapanda (20), Maxwell Moyo (23) and Aaron Mavhengere (26) were remanded in custody to the 17th of January 2023.
The National Prosecuting Authority alleges that on the 30th of September 2022 the accused persons together with three others who are still at large hatched a plan to rob Mukuru Remittance Services, Nembudziya.
Upon arrival at the Mukuru booth two of the accused persons threatened the complainant with a .38 special revolver and demanded cash from him. They took two cellphones, USD2 500 and ZAR2 050. The third accused person stabbed the complainant with a knife on the buttock as they force marched him to the Mukuru safe in the pharmacy adjacent to the booth.
The complainant managed to escape from the accused persons when he got into the pharmacy. The accused persons then robbed Dr Mutero who was in the pharmacy of his cellphone and USD120.
Dr Mutero alerted police detectives who were parked outside the Mukuru booth and they gave chase. The accused persons fired shots at the Detectives, as they pursued them. The Detectives arrested four of the accused persons about 4 kilometres away from the scene with the help of the community.
The fifth accused person was arrested by members of the public at Gokwe Center when a member of the public who had given him a lift noticed that he was armed. The total value recovered is USD2 349; ZAR2050 cash and two cell phones.
A .38 special revolver, spent cartridges, a knife and live rounds of ammunition were also recovered.
