Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
FIVE police officers stationed at Borrowdale appeared in court on Saturday facing robbery charges after they were allegedly hired by a Chinese national to force his business partner to refund money from a failed business deal.
Hotera Palmer (40), Magomba Takuranashe (44), Mazikana Rwisai (42), Kasengezi Kings (35) and Patricia Thomas appeared before a Harare magistrate.
The five were remanded in custody to Monday for a bail application. The complainant is Feng Lin (38), while Nina Zheng, who allegedly engaged the officers, is still at large.
The State alleges that in October, Lin entered into a deal with Zheng to transport chrome from Zimbabwe to Mozambique.
However, the deal collapsed after Lin allegedly offloaded the chrome in Mutare instead of Mozambique, resulting in the termination of the contract.
The parties subsequently agreed that Lin would refund US$13 000 to Zheng. The court heard that Zheng allegedly engaged the five officers to unlawfully and forcibly recover the money from Lin.
On October 13, 2026, Zheng, accompanied by the five officers, allegedly went to Lin’s home armed with a Mossberg rifle, serial number 267.
Upon arrival, they found the gate locked and called Lin before allegedly ordering him to pay Zheng US$13 500 immediately or face the consequences of the law.
Lin allegedly pleaded with Zheng over the phone, saying he would pay the money later, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
He then instructed his driver, Magwagwa, who was away from the homestead, to deliver US$3 000 as part payment.
Magwagwa brought the US$3 000 to the officers who were still at Lin’s gate and handed the money to Zheng, who was seated in a Toyota Land Cruiser.
The court heard that after receiving the US$3 000 the police officers continued declaring that they would not leave the premises before receiving the full payment.
They also threatened to jump over the precast wall if the complainant continued to refuse to open his gate.
Out of fear, Lin transferred another US$7 500 into Zheng bank account to make a total of US$10 500.
After paying the US$10 500, Magomba, Rwisai and Sergeant Major Musadharara, who is still at large and was armed with the Mossberg rifle loaded with three rounds, jumped over the precast wall.
The trio slapped the gardener, Langton Muregi and proceeded to the main house where they broke the kitchen door.
They ransacked the house and found Lin in his bedroom. They threatened him with the rifle whilst assaulting him, demanding that he settle the balance of US$2 500.
The trio allegedly demanded US$1 000 from Lin so that they would not hand him over to Immigration authorities for deportation.
The money was also meant to secure his release. It is the State’s case that after pleading with the accused persons, Lin managed to raise the needed US$ 1 000 and handed it over to Magomba in the presence of Rwisai and Musadharara.
The trio then left the premises. The accused persons, acting in common purpose with Nina Zheng and Sergeant Major Musadharara, who are all at large, unlawfully demanded and obtained payment of US$10 500 from Feng Lin.
The accused person went on to unlawfully extort US$1000 from the complainant for his liberty.
