Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini-Court Reporter
ANOTHER suspect has been arrested over the US$9 000 robbery at Hello Paisa money transfer booth at Kuwadzana 2 Shopping Centre early this year.
Munyaradzi Muchero Hodzi was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare regional magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka, who remanded him in custody pending finalisation of investigations.
He was told only the High Court could grant bail for a third schedule offence.
On April 16, an employee of Hello Paisa and two guards, Elina Sakunaka and Charles Maoneke from Volsec Security Company, were at Kuwadzana 2 Shopping Centre.
Prosecutors allege that Hodzi was part of the gang of four that attacked the booth with Edson Murambidzi and Takudzwa Makanha, who are already in custody. The gang was wearing face masks, reflective overalls and armed with four pistols, four metal axes and an iron bar. They confronted the Hello Paisa employee who was doing perimeter checks at the shop.
They manhandled him and one of the robbers hit him on the forehead with a firearm. They forced him to where the guards were stationed and tied the hands and legs of the three using shoe laces from the employee’s shoes.
One of the gang remained on guard while the other three went to the back of the building, forced open the metal door and a screen gate and entered the shop.
Inside the shop, they blasted a safe using explosives before they stole cash amounting to US$9 000.
The gang allegedly also stole a revolver with serial number 1235736 charged with a magazine of 5 rounds of ammunition from a gun cabinet before they disappeared from the scene.
The Hello Paisa employee went to ZRP Kuwadzana where he reported the matter.
On July 22, Hodzi was arrested leading to the recovery of the stolen firearm concealed underground on the back of his two-roomed house.
In the second count, Hodzi and his accomplices allegedly broke into a Mukuru Money transfer shop where they blasted a safe several times, but failed to open it. They got out of the shop and fired shots towards the security guards before disappearing into the darkness.
Peter Tanyanyiwa