Danisa Masuku Court Reporter
TWO men have appeared in court for allegedly using inside information to track a gold cash booker from Gwanda before robbing him of gold bullion worth US$120 448 at a Bulawayo service station and throwing him out of their moving getaway vehicle.
Victor Tseriwa and Wellington Tendai Chidoti appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Ms Patience Ururu on Tuesday facing robbery charges. They were not asked to plead and were remanded in custody to November 10.
The State alleges that the pair conspired with three accomplices; Thethelani Ndlovu, Tony Thandolwenkosi Nyoni and Khawulani Dube, who are still at large, to rob Mr Victor Matiki, a cash booker employed by Gold Wallet Private Limited.
The accused are represented by Mr Simbarashe Innocent Madzivire of Mashayamombe Legal Practitioners.
Prosecuting, Mr Joseph Mugari told the court that on October 20, shortly after 11 AM, the accused and their alleged accomplices went to a service station at the corner of Josiah Tongogara Street and Leopold
Takawira Avenue in Bulawayo, where they allegedly used violence and threats of violence to rob Mr Matiki.
“The accused persons, having obtained inside operational information regarding transit schedules, routes, mode of transport and custodian details, tracked the complainant from Gwanda to Bulawayo,” said Mr Mugari.
The court heard that the accused allegedly approached Mr Matiki from behind and wrestled with him before snatching a black leather pocket bag containing 947,81 grammes of gold bullion valued at US$120 448.
Mr Mugari said Mr Matiki attempted to recover the stolen property by pursuing the suspects into their getaway vehicle, a maroon Toyota Aqua.
“The accused persons and their accomplices wrestled with the complainant and forcibly threw him out of the moving vehicle before speeding away with the gold bullion,” he said.
The court further heard that Tseriwa was arrested at a wholesale outlet in Bulawayo, where he allegedly admitted to tracking Mr Matiki’s movements from Gwanda.
Chidoti was arrested at a service station in Gwanda, leading to the recovery of US$8 000, which the State alleges was part of his share of the proceeds from the sale of the stolen gold bullion.
