adminZvikomborero Parafini
TRAUMA Centre Borrowdale owner, Dr Vivek Solanki, yesterday testified against notorious robber Musa Taj Abdul, and his gang, in an armed robbery case.
Abdul appeared before Harare magistrate Ignatio Mhene, together with his suspected accomplices Benjamin Chitunhu, Charles Lundu, Rudolph Tapiwa Kanhanga, Tapiwa Mangoma, Innocent Jairos, Prince Makodza, Carrington Marasha and Douglas Matenda.
Solanki told the court he was called and informed about an ongoing robbery at his hospital and rushed to the scene and chased after their getaway vehicle.
“I rushed to the hospital after I was called and saw the robbers getting into a Toyota Fortuner and gave chase and rammed into the car from the back before side swiping it into a ditch.
“They started running away, I never knew that people could run so fast.
“I then called the police and security company to guard the vehicle.
“During the chase, I noticed there were certain items being thrown out of the vehicle.
“At first I didn’t notice what the items were, but I later noticed that they were two guns,” he said.
Solanki further told the court that he identified Abdul from the CCTV since he had removed his mask and looked directly into the camera.
He said he identified the other robbers from the CCTV at the hospital.
Asked whether it was a fabricated case, Solanki told the court that he would never fabricate a case against the gang, saying it was “pathetic to rob a hospital where people seek critical medical treatment”.
Under cross examination, Solanki disputed the defence’s statement that none of the gang members was at Trauma Centre Borrowdale.
“It’s a ridiculous and pathetic lie to say that they weren’t at the hospital, all of them were there,” he said.
Shepherd Makonde appeared for the State.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter