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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter
TWO armed robbers who allegedly used two unregistered Honda Fits to follow a Bulawayo motorist from the city centre to Cowdray Park where they blocked him before robbing him of US$2 800 and R3 500 at gunpoint, have been released on $10 000 bail each.

Darlington Nyaruviro (43) of Cowdray Park and Lovemore Mukamba (24) of Mzilikazi allegedly working with numerous accomplices, followed Mr Tichaona Tarinda (39) from the city centre to a secluded place near Luveve Cemetery where they blocked his car, a silver Mercedes Benz using their two cars.

They allegedly smashed the window on the driver’s side and opened the door before fishing Mr Tarinda out of his car and demanded money.

Mr Tarinda tried to wrestle with the accused persons but they overpowered him and went away with a bag containing
US$2 800 and R3 500.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese granted each of the two applicants bail of $10 000 pending trial. In papers before the court, they cited the State as a respondent.

They filed the application for bail pending trial at the High Court following the rejection of their request by Bulawayo magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya.

Justice Makonese also ordered the two men to report once a week at Cowdray Park and Mzilikazi police stations and to continue residing at their given addresses until the matter was finalised.

They were also ordered not to interfere with State witnesses as part of the bail conditions.

In their bail statement, Nyaruviro and Mukamba through their lawyers Ncube Attorneys, said they did not participate in the crime, arguing that there was no evidence linking them to the offence.

“In essence, applicants have been charged, brought to court and remanded in custody for a matter that is based on inadmissible evidence. They were not positively identified and it is strongly denied that they participated in the armed robbery as alleged,” argued the applicants’ lawyers.

The State which was represented by Mr Blessing Gundani did not oppose bail, saying there were no compelling reasons warranting the two applicants’ continued detention.

“In casu, no ground was established as the only link to this offence is through having been implicated by an accomplice and that already weakens the State’s case,” he said.

According to court papers, it was stated that on May 20 this year at around 6PM, the two applicants were allegedly in the company of several accomplices, some of whom have since been arrested while others are still at large, when they followed the complainant from the city centre as he was driving to his home in Cowdray Park. They were allegedly travelling in two Honda Fit vehicles with no number plates.

Upon arrival at a dusty stretch near Luveve Cemetery, they allegedly blocked his car both at the front and back. One of the accomplices Khawulani Dube who was armed with a pistol, smashed the window on the driver’s side using the back of the firearm. They managed to open the door and dragged the complainant out of the car and demanded money. Mr Tarinda tried to wrestle with the armed robbers but they overpowered him and went away with the bag containing money.

A report was made to the police and investigations led to the arrest of some of the suspects who then implicated the two applicants. — @mashnets