BEITBRIDGE police have arrested five of the six suspected armed gang that early week allegedly stripped an ex-soldier Dogeni Patsika of R53 000 in a violent pre-dawn robbery.
BY REX MPHISA
Reacting swiftly to leads the Beitbridge Criminal Investigations Department netted Amos Zhou 43, Lovemore Simango 31, and Cuthbert Panganai at a car washing kiosk in the gold mining town of Kadoma where they fled after the alleged crime.
According to documents seen at the court by the NewsDay police had already accounted for Juliet Isaka, 32, and Dennis Muguzumbi both of Dulivhadzimo township apprehended soon after the robbery.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Tobias Chatikobo apprehended Zhou, Simango and Panganai as they cleaned their gateaway car in Kadoma almost 500km away from the scene of crime.
Isaka provided the essential link. As for Muguzumbi it was his slow legs that betrayed him when he was caught by his victim Patsika.
Muguzumbi is likely to face an attempted murder charge for stabbing Patsika on the head and back during a struggle following which the former was immobilised by a blow on the forehead that saw him tumble.
Patsika was transferred to Bulawayo were surgeons are expected to remove a piece of the knife that broke into his skull.
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On Monday last week Patsika, a retired military instructor gave housemate Isaka a lift from Chiredzi to Beitbridge. On the way Isaka allegedly communicated with Zhou through text messages and WhatsApp chats bringing him up to speed on Patsika’s movements.
Isaka knew that Patsika who runs a tuckshop at the house they both lodge rooms in Chiredzi would be carrying money for his shop orders and planned the robbery, Chatikobo stated in a sworn affidavit in the court records.
Zhou set up a gang which trailed and robbed Patsika soon after he dropped Isaka at her house.
Police recovered R7 200 a knobkerry, pepper spray and a golf club in the Mercedes Benz.
The gang members will appear again in court after a fortnight.
