Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba and Arron Nyamayaro
FOUR Harare women have been arrested for allegedly staging an armed robbery to cover up the theft of US$30 000 from a house in Kuwadzana.
The suspects, all from Kuwadzana are Beauty Muzvondiwa (32), Loveness Rice (25), Rhoda Zuze (43) and Ruvimbo Hodhera (24).
Police say investigations exposed the allegedly fake robbery as a carefully orchestrated plot designed to conceal the theft.
CID spokesperson Detective Inspector Rachel Muteweri said on Friday last week, Beauty Muzvondiwa, who was aware that her husband was in possession of US$30 000, worked with her accomplices to steal the money and then staged a robbery.
“In her report, Muzvondiwa alleged that she had been attacked at gunpoint by armed criminals who had stormed into her house while wearing balaclavas. She further alleged that the gang demanded money before getting away with US$30 000, a DStv decoder and a speaker.”
Following the report, detectives from CID Homicide Harare launched investigations into the alleged robbery.
On September 29, Muzvondiwa was picked up for questioning, leading to revelations that the robbery had allegedly been fabricated.
Police investigations established that she had allegedly connived with three other suspects to steal the money.
Subsequent follow-up investigations led to the arrest of Rice, Zuze and Hodhera.
Police also recovered a DStv decoder, a speaker and US$20 450 believed to be part of the stolen money.
The four women are expected to appear in court today facing charges of theft and deliberately making a false report to public authorities.
Det Insp Muteweri warned people against keeping large sums of cash at home.
“Where substantial amounts of cash are received, members of the public are encouraged to deposit the money with the bank.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police would like to reiterate that making a false report to the police or deliberately supplying false information to the police is a chargeable offence,” she said.
