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NewsDay

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$412k heist suspects acquitted

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THE six suspects linked to the $412 000 robbery that occurred at Waverley Blankets in Harare last year yesterday breathed a sigh of relief after regional magistrate Noel Mupeiwa acquitted them .

THE six suspects linked to the $412 000 robbery that occurred at Waverley Blankets in Harare last year yesterday breathed a sigh of relief after regional magistrate Noel Mupeiwa acquitted them of armed robbery charges due to lack of incriminating evidence.

SENIOR COURT REPORTER

One of the acquitted men, Kudakwashe Brian Mungadzi, will, however, live the rest of his life with a bullet lodged in his skull after he was shot by police officers as he allegedly attempted to evade arrest.

The acquittal of the six men followed an application for discharge at the close of the State case filed by their lawyer Rekai Maposa.

During trial, Maposa objected to the State’s request to produce evidence in the form of indications allegedly made by the suspects at the scene of the crime in Graniteside arguing that the alleged indications were made after the six men had been tortured and over-detained in police cells to extract confessions.

She further told the court that the six men were threatened with death and, as a result, the court ruled the State had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the indications were made freely and voluntarily and further that the evidence of police officers who testified during the trial was contradictory.

After the court’s ruling Maposa made an application for discharge at the close of the State’s case and the magistrate ruled in her favour saying the State had failed to lay the basis on which it was linking the suspects to the recovered cash on the charge of armed robbery.

Mupeiwa further said the stolen cash at Waverley Blankets was not serialised and as such could not be linked to cash recovered in the suspects’ possession.

Mungadzi was arrested and charged alongside Fred Tsvarai, Hoosein Karim, Winnock Hahlani, James Tabu, Amos Ndhlamuti and Carrim Hussein.

Allegations against the suspects were that sometime in May last year, Don approached Karim and told him of the laxity of security at Waverley Blankets when transporting cash to the bank.

Thereafter a plan was allegedly hatched whereupon the suspects allegedly waylaid Waverley Blanket official, Maureen Muparatsi and her workmates whom they allegedly robbed of $412 798 leading to their arrest. Only $25 300 was recovered.