A 26-YEAR-OLD Zimbabwe National Army member who allegedly teamed up with seven other suspects to rob businessman Jayesh Shah of $90 000 after accusing him of planning to assassinate President Emmerson Mnangagwa and sponsoring the G40 faction in Zanu PF appeared in court yesterday.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Elvis Machinga stationed at the Presidential Guard Headquarters, was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa who remanded him to December 28 and advised him to apply for bail at the High Court.
Shah is the owner of Gift Investments, a company which imports buses for the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company.
It is the State’s case that on November 28 this year, Machinga, Sibanda, who is already on remand, in the company of Vengai Shoko, Gift Chimuka, one Banga, Matuke, Maruke and others, whose names are not yet known and are still at large, drove to the complainant’s offices in Avondale West.
They confronted a security guard purporting to be military police. The suspects produced pistols and ordered the security guard to surrender the gate keys. It is alleged they unlocked the gate and while inside, they lied that they were on a State-sanctioned operation. The suspects later went away after they failed to locate the complainant.
On the following day at around 9am, the suspects returned to the complainant’s premises and forcibly entered his office.
Inside, they accused Shah of dealing with former government ministers Ignatius Chombo and Saviour Kasukuwere and sponsoring the G40 faction in a conspiracy to assassinate Mnangagwa.
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They allegedly ransacked Shah’s office and stole $15 000, 410 Singapore dollars, 3 050 Dubai dhiram, 16 000 Thai bhat and 4 000 Hong Kong dollars.
They dragged Shah and his secretary, Louise Smith into his Hyundai Sonata vehicle and drove to Rainbow Towers Hotel. The suspects threatened Shah with detention at Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks and with severe assault. They searched him and stole $6 000 from his wallet.
The court heard they forced him to disclose where he kept more money and the complainant succumbed to the threats and told them it was at his Gift Investments Company premises in Southerton.
The suspects ordered the complainant to summon his wife with keys to the premises and she arrived. They drove off to the premises and the suspects stole $70 000 cash from the safe.
They then went to the complainant’s place of residence and ransacked the house, but could not get anything. The suspects later gave the complainant $4 500 cash and ordered him to flee the country and not return and they went away with the loot. Sebastian Mutizirwa appeared for the State.
