adminThandeka Moyo Court Reporter
TWO foreigners from Malawi and Zambia were yesterday arraigned before the Bulawayo courts facing 15 counts of theft and unlawful entry.Maurice Bamusi Ngoda, 36, from Malawi and Mwansa Chungu, 28, from Zambia appeared before provincial Magistrate Sibongile Msipa-Marondedze.
They both pleaded not guilty and Magistrate Msipa remanded them in custody to January 27.
Prosecuting Charles Danda told the court that the two men where operating from different hotels and lodges around the city, targeting mostly foreign guests.
He said their first victim was a woman from Zambia who they found staying at Zak’s Place. On October 23, while the woman was absent, the two secured duplicate keys to her room and broke in, the court heard.
Danda said while the two were inside, they stole two laptops and 480 Zambian kwacha.
He said the two then shifted base and booked at Cecil Hotel where they met Silot Mawire who is a Harare resident. On November 2, 2014 at the hotel between 8PM and 9PM, the men used duplicate keys to gain entry into Mawire’s room. Upon entry they stole his laptop and left.
The court heard that after leaving Mawire’s room, Ngoda and Chungu proceeded to Cornillus Nyahunda’s room and broke in before stealing an iPad, and two laptops.
Danda said the two men then changed residence and put up at a lodge in Burnside where they connived with Michael Banda to steal other clients’ belongings.
On January 3, the three got into Mitamura Tetsuo’s tent, a Japanese national and stole sunglasses and one laptop bag, the court heard.
Danda said their next target was a woman from Belgium from whom they stole a black iPod from her room.
They also went through goods belonging to the woman’s roommate and stole $200, a camera and her pink iPod.
Danda said on the next day, the men relocated to Standard Hotel, broke into Honoured Mautsi’s room while he had gone out to buy food.
He said upon entry, they stole two cell phones, and a pair of headphones.
The court heard that the two men moved to Selbourne Hotel on the next day and pounced on a woman from Magwegwe North suburb.
While inside they stole two tablets.
The two men were arrested on January 14 after detectives received a tip off from members of the public. Police investigations led them to a lodge in Hillside where the pair was arrested.
Online Reporter