FIVE armed robbers who were travelling in a Honda Fit
followed a haulage truck, which was coming from a mine in Filabusi before they
attacked and robbed the driver of 1,17kgs of gold worth $1 million at gunpoint.
The daring robbers pounced on the truck near Pumula Police
Station. This emerged when two of the suspects linked to the robbery approached
the High Court for bail.
Zamani Moyo (43) of Old Pumula and Thandazani Dube of
Pumula South, through their lawyer Mr Abel Ndlovu of Dube and Associates, filed
an application for bail pending trial at the Bulawayo High Court citing the
State as a respondent.
In their bail statement, the two applicants are denying the
charges and argued there are no compelling reasons warranting their continued
detention pending trial.
“The applicants are perfect candidates for bail as there
appears to be no compelling reasons by the investigating officer to oppose
bail.
“In his affidavit, the investigating officer stated that
the applicants were a flight risk because they are facing a serious offence yet
the seriousness of an offence alone cannot be used as a ground to deny one
bail,” said Mr Ndlovu.
He said there was no evidence proffered by the
investigating officer suggesting that his clients were likely to abscond or
interfere with investigations if released on bail.
Moyo and Dube offered to pay $1 000 bail each and to report
twice a week at Pumula Police Station. They also offered to continue residing
at their given addresses as part of the bail conditions until the matter is
finalised.
The State is yet to respond to the application. According
to court papers, on March 6 this year, Moyo and Dube spotted the complainant Mr
Gordon Sibanda as he was driving out of a gold mine in Filabusi.
They allegedly ganged up with three accomplices who are
still at large and followed the complainant’s truck in their Honda Fit, which
had no number plates.
It was stated that the complainant decided to park his
truck along Hyde Park near Pumula Police Station for security reasons.
The gang also parked their car a few metres away from the
truck and immediately pounced on Sibanda. They pulled out a pistol and
threatened to kill him before assaulting him using a wheel spanner on the head
as they demanded gold.
They searched the truck and took 1,17kgs of gold which was
hidden under the driver’s seat and sped off in their getaway car.
A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of
Moyo and Dube and subsequent recovery of some of the stolen gold worth $190
000. The other suspects are still at large. Chronicle
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