adminbelonging to staff.
Brothers Shepherd (40) and Maxwell Chidawaya (37) and Shepherd Kalambo (36) had two years of their sentence suspended by Karoi magistrate Mr Elisha Singano on condition the trio restitutes National Foods the sum of US$8 687 plus a cash box before February 28, next year.
They were convicted of robbery, unlawful detention and impersonating police.
Charges against the trio arose on May 20 this year when they went to a National Foods depot in Karoi posing as detectives from CID Karoi investigating a case of theft by the depot staff.
They force marched staff members into separate offices at different times purporting to be interviewing them.
In the offices they tied six staff members’ hands and legs using cloth strings and ordered each one of them to surrender their cell phones.
They took away cellphones from their six victims, Blessmore Magaya, Richard Sizwebani, Lloyd Mapiye, Vengai Zinhu, Martin Mapiye and Takesure Zirema.
The three later force marched Zirema to the safe where they ordered him to unlock it and looted US$13 756.
They tied Zirema and disappeared with the loot.
After police were alerted they launched a manhunt resulting in the arrest of the trio in Harare three days later.
The trio is also yet to face trial for other robbery cases in Chegutu and Kadoma.
Nyamushaya, Kasuso, and Mubaya Legal Practitioners represented the three while Mr Benjamin Negato appeared for the State.
Online Reporter