Two suspected armed robbers allegedly pounced on a Chinese company, PHI Commodities in Aspindale, Harare, getting away with nearly $2 million worth of cash and goods.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Godfrey Josi (38) and Taurai Dzingai (46) were not asked to plead when they appeared before Harare magistrate Tilda Mazhande, who remanded them in custody to April 24.
They were advised to approach the High Court for bail.
It is the State’s case that on April 2 this year at around 12am, Josi and Dzingai, who are represented by Nathaniel Chigoro, and their nine accomplices, who are still at large, hatched a plan to rob PHI Commodities.
The State alleges they armed themselves with pistols, metal bars and explosives and parked outside the company’s premises.
It is alleged the accused persons scaled a precast security wall to gain access into the premises.
They allegedly confronted the security guards, Cephas Kisimesi and Cephas Chiutawo, who were manning the entrance and were inside the guardroom.
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The State alleges that the accused assaulted Kisimesi and Chiutawo with metal bars all over their bodies, ordering them to lie down and they complied.
The gang handcuffed the two security guards and tied them with shoe laces on their legs.
One of the gang members allegedly searched the two and stole two mobile phones, safety shoes, a black satchel, toiletries and two communication radios.
Two of the robbers allegedly remained on guard and the rest went and forcibly opened the office complex.
They ransacked all the offices looking for cash and valuables.
The gang allegedly accessed keys to the strong rooms and opened drawers before they stole seven laptops.
The court heard they found sacks and boxes full of cash in $2 and $5 bond notes denominations.
The State alleges the accused persons phoned their accomplices who drove in and parked by the office entrance and they loaded cash amounting to $1 799 960 into their getaway car.
On April 8, the police received information that the accused persons were involved in the robbery.
The police pursued the information which led to the arrest of Josi in Rydale Ridge after he had changed residence soon after the robbery and he implicated Dzingai. Police searched Josi and a suitcase containing $8 632 in $2 bond notes was recovered from his house.
He led the police to the recovery of a Mazda CX-7 SUV, which was bought on April 3 using part of the loot.
Police details also arrested Dzingai, who was questioned and he implicated Josi and other accused persons who are still at large. Dzingai also led to the recovery of $6 000 cash in $2 notes.
The value of the stolen property is $1 802 760 and only $14 632 cash was recovered.
Linda Gadzikwa appeared for the State.
