Former Young Warriors and Harare City Football Club striker Misheck Mburayi and two others appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with posing as traffic police officers, where they allegedly fleeced motorists of various amounts of money.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Mburayi (27) and his alleged accomplices, Munesushe Mazarire (27) and Nevil Munangati (28), were remanded in custody to today after they appeared before magistrate Barbara Chimboza.
Their charges include attempted robbery, possession of articles for criminal use and impersonating police officers.
It is the State’s case that on Wednesday this week, Mburayi, Mazarire, Munangati and their three other alleged accomplices Munyaradzi Tirivange, Carrington Marasha and Farai Mupundumani, all former police officers who are still at large, stormed an illegal commuter omnibus rank at corner Kwame Nkrumah Avenue and Harare Street, armed with spikes and what appeared like a genuine police spot fines ticket book.
It is alleged the six posed as traffic police officers although they were wearing civilian attire.
They allegedly threw a spike underneath a commuter omnibus loading passengers and told the driver that he was under arrest.
The suspects then ordered the passengers out as they jumped into the vehicle before commandeering the driver to drive towards Harare Central Police Station.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Before driving away, the driver allegedly switched off the engine and asked them to produce their police identity cards, which they failed to do.
Rank marshals then intervened and effected a citizen’s arrest on Mburayi, as the other suspects fled the scene.
Mburayi allegedly implicated Mazarire and led the police to his residence, where they recovered police uniforms, 10 copies of ZRP Form 11 and 10 copies of ZRP Form 66.
Mazarire also implicated the other suspects who are still at large.
A metal spike and deposit book, which the suspects were using to commit the offence, were not recovered. Michael Reza appeared for the State.
Meanwhile, two former convicts appeared yesterday before Chimboza charged with stealing 14 motorcycles in the central business district (CBD).
Simbarashe Musodzi (34) and Washington Mudzingwa (30) were remanded in custody to today for judgment after they pleaded guilty to stealing only nine motorbikes.
Prosecutor Sebastian Mutizirwa asked the court to rule on the nine charges which the suspects pleaded guilty to and remanded them for trial on the other five cases.
Musodzi served jail time after he committed the same offence, while Mudzingwa was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment in 2008 for stock theft and was released on presidential parole.
The court heard that sometime between January and June this year, the suspects pounced on motorcycles left unattended in the CBD, drove them to their hideout, where they allegedly tampered with registration plates, and sold them to unsuspecting people.
The victims include Maxwell Maocha, Edmore Saungweme, Samson Nyamapfeka, Chrispen Kumira, Wilfred Mautsa, Rapheal Maisiri, Shingirirayi Masangudza, Iverne Rason, Antony Sande, Gilbert Dhobha, Sheperd Kuhocha, Philip Kasinangwara and Simon Bumhira.
