Online Reporter
Dalyn Chigwizura
THREE suspected armed robbers, who in March this year allegedly hijacked an in-drive driver, gagged him at gunpoint before locking him in the boot of his own car in Pumula South suburb, are part of a larger robbery syndicate, the court heard.
Clifford Desmond Nare (34), Monalisa Mhlanga (21) and Fikile Ncube (26) are appearing before Western Commonage regional magistrate, Mrs Sibongile Marondedze.
Giving evidence in court, Detective Sergeant Dube, who led the investigations, said from the information they gathered, the accused are part of a larger robbery syndicate operating in the city. He said two members of the same gang had since died.
The prosecutor, Mr Milton Moyo told the court that the incident occurred on March 2, after the trio allegedly used a fake in-drive booking to lure the complainant Mr Orchard Nyawo into a trap, near Zion of Judah Church in Pumula South.
Testifying in court, Mr Nyawo said: “I received a call from a woman requesting a lift to Rainbow Hotel and when I arrived and called her back, she didn’t answer. Suddenly, my window was smashed and three gunmen stormed in,” he said.
The court head that the accused allegedly shoved a gun into Nyawo’s mouth, tied his hands, removed his shoes and forced him into the boot of his Honda Fit. The gang allegedly threatened to burn him alive if he resisted.
The stolen vehicle was then used to stage a robbery at DA Garage in Nkulumane 12 suburb. The robbers pretended to be customers buying fuel before turning on staff and security, fleeing with US$60. In a blunder that would later lead to their capture, they left behind the driver’s phone.
Detectives traced the number used to make the fake in-drive booking to Monalisa Mhlanga, who had attempted to disguise her identity using a fake Econet address. However, police uncovered her Facebook profile, which linked her to mutual contacts, including a police officer.
“She admitted she was in Pumula South that night and had called an in-drive. She also revealed she was with Fikile Ncube,” testified one detective.
A subsequent raid on Ncube’s home yielded a grey tracksuit and black mask, matching those seen in CCTV footage from DA Garage.
Nare allegedly admitted to committing the crime during indications at the crime scenes.
Despite overwhelming evidence, including CCTV footage, phone records and recovered items, the trio has denied any involvement in the robberies and kidnapping.
