daniel chigunweZvikomborero Parafini
TWO armed robbers appeared in court for robbery and rape over the weekend.
The two brothers, Knowledge Muguti and Eric Muguti, were remanded in custody.
The court heard that on October 26, the duo connived to steal Gift Banda’s vehicle, a Toyota Sienta.
They approached him posing as clients by hiring the vehicle to Westgate Shopping Centre from Harare CBD.
Banda was given directions by the duo to a certain house close to Westgate Shops.
When he stopped by the gate, one of the two grabbed him by the neck from behind and threatened him with death.
Banda fought back and punched the robber in the front passenger seat, forcing them to flee.
The duo left a black satchel containing a machete, a small axe, a tear-gas canister, clothes and a cellphone.
On the second count, last Thursday, the brothers approached taxi driver, Tinashe Mapuranga, and posed as clients who wanted to hire his car to St Martins from Harare CBD.
They told him that they intended to pick someone along the way.
Mapuranga was directed to drive along Seke Road and told to stop near Metro Peach to pick up their accomplice.
The brothers produced two machetes and threatened to kill him.
Mapuranga was pulled to the rear seat and they tied him and then pushed him out of the car. Mapuranga managed to untie himself and boarded a commuter omnibus to town where he called his employer and they filed a police report.
The taxi was tracked to Malborough where the duo was arrested and their accomplice fled.
On count three, the duo’s accomplice, one Marvelous, approached a commercial sex worker as a potential client.
She charged him US$5 and he led her to a parked vehicle and they drove to a bushy area.
The Muguti brothers joined him and forcibly opened the car and started assaulting the complainant. They stole her cellphone and US$24.
Marvelous allegedly raped her while the others waited for him.
She later made a report at Marlborough Police Station.
Online Reporter