THE High Court has dismissed an application for bail
pending trial by one of the eight armed robbers who allegedly raided a
Chinese-owned mine and several houses in Bulawayo, robbing their victims of
more than US$20 000.
Oliver Mhlanga of Hillcrest allegedly ganged up with
MacDonald Tinashe Majaya (35) of Gwabalanda suburb, Blessing Luzhi (36) of
Mpopoma suburb, Simbarashe Lenox Kamwendo, who is currently on remand in prison
and five others who are still at large to raid Sqneed Chrome Zimbabwe Company
in Lalapanzi.
They allegedly force-marched the workers to the company’s
administration offices at gunpoint where they ordered them to lie on their
stomachs before tying their hands using shoelaces and electrical cables.
The armed robbers allegedly attacked their victims using
pistol butts, a shovel and machetes.
Mhlanga, who is facing four counts of armed robbery,
through his lawyers Sengweni Legal Practice, filed an application for bail
pending trial at the Bulawayo High Court citing the State as a respondent.
In his bail statement, Mhlanga is denying the charges,
arguing there was no evidence linking him to the offences.
“The State only alleges that the applicant made positive
indications without stating what indications if any are there and how they link
him to the offences. Applicant is suffering because he was found together with
his friend MacDonald on the day of the arrest,” said Mhlanga’s lawyers.
Mhlanga said the State case is weak as there was no
evidence hence if released on bail there was no likelihood of absconding or
interfering with State witnesses.
“There is no reason to fear that the applicant will
interfere with State witnesses as he does not know them. It is therefore humbly
submitted that applicant is a proper candidate for bail in that the State has
not established by evidence any of the factors provided by the law against the
applicant,” he said.
Mhlanga had offered to pay $1 000 bail as well as reporting
daily at the Bulawayo Central Police Station’s CID Homicide section as part of
the bail conditions.
Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Thompson Mabhikwa
dismissed the application, saying there was no guarantee that if released on
bail, Mhlanga would not abscond given the gravity of the offences.
“It is ordered that the application for bail pending trial
be and hereby dismissed,” ruled the judge.
The State, which was represented by Mr Trust Muduma had
opposed the application, arguing that the State had a strong prima facie
evidence against Mhlanga who was likely to abscond if released on bail.
According to court papers, it was stated that on February 7
this year between 8PM and 10PM, Mhlanga and his accomplices connived and went
to Sqneed Chrome Zimbabwe Company in Lalapanzi.
They ordered the employees to lie down before they tied
their hands using electrical cables and shoe laces and assaulted them.
The accused persons assaulted the complainants using pistol
butts, booted feet, a shovel and a machete. They searched one of the
complainants and took US$60, a national identity card and a Gtel X 7S
cellphone. They also took a Samsung and $30.
They searched other employees and took varying amounts of
money ranging from US$33 to US$130 as well as 500 kwacha.
Four of the accused persons then proceeded to the company’s
administration block while the others remained behind guarding their hostages.
Upon arrival at the administration block, they pulled out
pistols and pointed at the company directors. They ordered them to lie down and
tied their hands before attacking them with a hammer and fists.
The court heard that the accused persons broke into the
directors’ houses after damaging the locks using hammers. They ransacked one of
the directors’ houses and stole cellphones, a wallet containing US$590, bank
cards and their Chinese identity documents.
They also broke into another house and went away with US$16
100, R1 000, 1 800 Chinese yuan, $7 000, a Huawei cellphone, travelling bag,
one pair of sports shoes and fled from the scene, leaving the complainants
still tied.
The accused persons were intercepted by police while
heading towards their two getaway cars while their accomplices managed to flee
in one of the vehicles, a Honda Fit.
Investigations by police revealed that the car belonged to
Majaya while a cellphone recovered from the abandoned car belonged to Luzhi.
Further investigations also revealed that the gang was
involved in a spate of armed robberies targeting houses in Bulawayo.
In one of the houses in Nkulumane, they raided the property
and went away with US$5 237, clothes and two cellphones. Chronicle
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