Chronicle Editor
Courtney Matende, Midlands Reporter
A GWERU businessman lost two bags stashed with a yet to be confirmed amount of cash and a Nissan Elgrand to five masked pistol-wielding robbers at his house in Athlone suburb.
The robbers allegedly scaled a precast wall before waylaying Mr Morgen Mwenga as he disembarked from his vehicle.
This was heard when two of the suspects; Terrence Nyakudyara (30) and Joseph Hazvinei (22) appeared before Gweru Magistrate Ms Beaulity Dube facing two counts – one of robbery and another of possession of firearms without a licence.
Nyakudyara and Hazvinei were remanded in custody to today.
Their accomplices, Ngoni Makumbe, Ronnie Edward Chigwida and one only known as Makoni are still at large, the court heard.
It is the State’s case that the robbers attacked Mr Mwenga on February 2 at around 10AM.
As Mr Mwenga came out of his vehicle, the robbers armed with pistols and their faces covered with masks allegedly jumped on him before threatening to shoot him in front of his family if he resisted.
The court heard that Nyakudyara and Hazvinei disarmed Mr Mwenga of his CZ pistol and took two bags containing money from the boot of one of his vehicles.
The robbers allegedly jumped into Mr Mwenga’s Nissan Elgrand and sped off.
The court heard that on April 26 at around 9AM at Dabuka along the Gweru-Bulawayo Road, Nyakudyara and Hazvinei and their accomplices in a Honda Fit were stopped at a police roadblock.
Their vehicle was allegedly searched by the police leading to the recovery of two pistols, a revolver Mark III loaded with four rounds and a 9 millimetre Star pistol loaded with 2 rounds, wrapped in a blue cloth under the dashboard cover.
Nyakudyara and Hazvinei allegedly wrestled with the detective who had found the pistols trying to disarm her but failed while the other three accomplices fled.
The court heard that Nyakudyara and Hazvinei were arrested and two masks were also found in the boot.
The actual amount of money which was stashed in the two bags is still to be determined as investigations are still in progress.
Mr Lovemore Mahachi appeared for the State.
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