The Herald – Breaking news.
Prosper Dembedza Herald Correspondent
Three suspected armed thieves have appeared in court over allegations of robbing an oil station and a Harare school.
Washington Musindo Tinashe Ttagwireyi and Lameck Magaya faced armed robbery allegations when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa, who remanded in custody them to November 3 for trial.
The High Court advised them to apply for bail.
It is the State’s case that on October 11, the trio and their accomplices who are still at large armed themselves with a pistol, metal bars, bolt cutters and explosives and proceeded to Total Service Station in Budiriro 1 Shops, Harare.
The court heard how, upon arrival, the men abused the security guard and petrol attendant, threatening them with a gun if they didn’t comply.
The trio forced the two complainants to a room where they tied their hands and legs with cell phone chargers.
Together with their accomplices, they searched the fuel attendant and stole his Itel AS8, US$4 and ZWL$4000 before forcing open the director’s office where they stole a Lenovo laptop, 2x DVR.
They opened the safe with the key in the drawer and stole US$6,000 before disappearing into the darkness.
The total value of the theft is US$6200, and nothing has been recovered.
Musindo planned to rob Westlea primary school in Harare at around 8pm on September 26, with his accomplices, who are still at-large.
The attackers armed themselves with a pistol that was not identified, bolt cutters and metal bars, and then attacked two security guards at the school.
They pushed the security guards, and forced marched them to a classroom block where they placed them on guard.
The accused then proceeded to break the screen door, and the doors of the administration block.
lt is alleged that the gang blasted a safe which was in the headmaster’s office where they took cash US$1 932. They also took 2x HP Envy laptops, 1x CADAC cooler box 45 litres, 1x AFM Solar Digimark, 62kg Beef, 30kg Chicken Drumsticks, and 1x HP Core-i7 silver Laptop.
The total value of the theft is US$8 808 and US$1200 has been recovered.
Musindo, along with his accomplices who were still at large, planned to rob Rukudzo primary school in Kambuzuma Section 3 of Harare on September 27 at 2am.
They attacked the complainant on guard. They then tied his hands with shoelaces as well as his legs, and assaulted his entire body with booted foot and clenched fingers while searching for US$4 in his pockets.
They then proceeded to the administration block where they blasted a safe in the headmistress’ office but failed to open it. They took US$404 from a small cashbox and an Acer laptop, as well as several groceries.
The total value of the stolen goods is US$1 755 and nothing was recovered.
The gang entered Kuwadzana 8 School at about 10.30pm with a bolt cutter, an unidentified pistol and iron bars. They ordered the complainant to lie down with his back facing downwards and hit him with an iron bar.
They pointed the gun at his head, threatening to shoot him in the face if he didn’t comply. They took his phone and then went to the administration block, where they blew up a safe. They stole ZWL$68000 and US$3 5551 and left.
They are also facing charges for unlawful possession of a gun after they were caught in Domboshava in possession of one.