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Yeukai Karengezeka Court Correspondent
A suspected armed robber who managed to fraudulently get bail at the High Court with the assistance of a now incarcerated prosecutor has been rearrested, and besides going back into custodial remand for the robbery charges has also been charged with obstruction of justice after the fake bail.
Cornwell Junior Kasambarare(31) was charged with the extra charge of obstruction the course of justice when he appeared before magistrate Mrs Munashe Chibanda.
He was remanded in custody pending a bail application for that charge.
On the main charge, the State led by Mr Bofu alleged that on January 9, 2021, at around 00:01 am, Kasambarare in the company of his accomplices Mike Haris Chiyangwa, Spicer Takawira and Chamunorwa Takawira raided Petzim Service Station in Machipisa, Highfield, Harare.
The gang armed themselves with an unknown type of pistol and proceeded to the service station while driving a black Toyota Wish and pretended as if they were in need of fuel. One robber suddenly produced the pistol and manhandled the security guard whom they force marched to the service station office where they tied him both hands and legs using shoelaces.
They went to the company offices where they attempted to break open the cash safe using an unknown object and they further ransacked the offices and managed to steal a hair clipper.
They then left Petzim offices and proceeded to the next Exide shop where they force opened the company door and stole 14 Exide batteries. They loaded the loot in their motor vehicle and drove away.
In April 2021, detectives got information that they reacted to which resulted in the arrest of Kasambarare and one accomplice, Chiyangwa.
They were taken to court on CRB 3179- 80/21 and it was found that the accused committed this offence while on bail for an offence he committed at Mashwede offices in Arcadia Harare under Harare Magistrate court CRB 4674/20.
Kasambarare tried on several occasions to apply for bail at the High Court but was not successful.
He then engaged Henry Mugove Muringani who was with the National Prosecuting Authority then to help him secure bail. On September 15 2021, he appeared at the High Court before Justice Mhuri with altered charges of unlawful entry and theft when he was in fact facing armed robbery charges.
The judge after going through his submissions granted him bail.
Muringani was sentenced to 20 years in jail for corruption in April this year. He was unlawfully preparing bail applications for suspects whose bail applications had initially been dismissed by the High Court due to the seriousness of the charges.
Online Reporter