Cop convited of armed robbery

Aloud Hurumba (23) will be sentenced next Tuesday. He was convicted after a fully contested trial.

Regional magistrate Mr Morgan Nemadire delivered the ruling yesterday. He ruled that the State proved a prima facie case against Hurumba.
“The accused person was positively identified by the State witnesses who are the complainants and their mobile phones were found at his house at the Support Unit camp,” said Mr Nemadire.
After the ruling, prosecutor Mr Michael Reza called for a stiffer penalty arguing that Hurumba had committed a very serious offence.

The court heard that Hurumba was stationed at Chikurubi Support Unit, Lima Troop, and was issued with a service pistol in April last year.
On June 11, Hurumba pounced on his first victim, Siteni Mhungwe, a cabman at the corner of Chinhoyi Street and Jason Moyo Avenue.
He asked to be taken to Manresa.

As they drove along Acturus Road after Chikurubi Support Unit, Hurumba asked the unsuspecting cabman to turn into a dust road and he complied. He asked him to stop before he pulled out his service pistol and demanded cash and his cellphone. Mhungwe surrendered US$110 and his Nokia 6630. After the robbery, Hurumba got out of the car and ordered him to speed off.
On June 16, using the same method, Hurumba robbed Mr Ashley Mupfumba of Apple Taxis of US$230.

Two days later, he robbed another cabman Mr Enos Dzeko of HP Taxis of US$32 and a G-Tide cellphone.
The fourth victim, Mr Josphat Mapaswe of Tripple Taxis lost US$95 to Hurumba.

On June 23, he hired Mr Ethel Mukowachimana to Greendale and when they approached a certain house in the suburb he ordered the taxi driver to stop and pointed a gun at him demanding cash and a fight ensued.
Mr Mukowachimana overpowered Hurumba and disarmed him but he failed to operate the pistol. Hurumba picked a stone and struck the taxi driver on the left hand and he dropped the pistol. Hurumba picked the pistol and sped off.