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Fidelis Munyoro
Chief Court Reporter
The trial of Bindura lawyer Elatone Bonongwe and five others on robbery charges continued yesterday with a State witness, who was part of the gang involved in the robbery scheme, giving graphic details of how the crime was planned and executed.
Bonongwe is jointly charged with Musa Gandi, Agnes Kunaka, Tafadzwa Chipashu, Justin James and Terrence Musingwini.
Key State witness Rabby Ngwenya recounted events leading to the robbery in Mt Darwin with the lawyer being at the centre of the plot.
In her testimony, Ngwenya told the court that on October 23 last year, one of the accused, Tafadzwa Chipashu, called her boyfriend Munyaradzi Denga over a deal involving a lot of money.
The following day, she said, she accompanied Denga to Glen Norah where they met Musa Gandi, Agness Kunaka and Justine James and a plot to rob the complainants was discussed.
Denga is at large. Later in the day she travelled to Mt Darwin, at the invitation of Denga, along with Gandi, Kunaka, Chipashu and James, Terrence Musingwini and a person identified only as Tsano, who is also at large.
On their way, said Ngwenya, James asked to pass through a house in Sunningdale where he collected a crow bar and a hunter’s knife.
“Along the way, Advocate Bonongwe would call Gandi enquiring on their whereabouts,” she said.
“When we finally arrived at a service station in Mt Darwin, Bonongwe welcomed us. Gandi introduced Adv Bonongwe to us, saying he was a very powerful and influential person in the area.”
Bonongwe is fingered as the mastermind of the robbery that saw his accomplices stealing over US$30 000 worth of property and cash from a Bindura home after a brutal attack of the occupants.
After some introductions, Ngwenya told the court that Bonongwe led them to a house where the “deal” was supposed to be done. However, Bonongwe informed them that the plan would be executed at midnight.
“Around 12 midnight, the plan was set in motion,” she said. “We drove to the house and parked the vehicle about 100 metres away from the complainant’s house.”
At that point, Ngwenya, Kunaka and Chipashu remained in the car while Gandi, Denga, Musingwini, Tsano and another unidentified man went into the complainant’s residence.
“Denga took with him the two iron bars and a hunter’s knife. After about two hours, the five men returned with bags,” she said.
Ngwenya also told the court that as they left the scene, Denga accused Bonongwe of using him for nothing.
The witness further told the court that on their way back, they encountered a police roadblock at Mazowe and the police details asked Chipashu, who was behind the wheel, to produce a licence, but he didn’t have any.
He was also asked to produce an identity card, but failed. This, she said, prompted the police to ask him to pull off the road for the police to conduct a search.
Ngwenya said as the police were conducting the search, Denga, Musingwini, Tsano and the fourth person fled the scene, prompting the police to fire a shot that led to the arrest of three of them.
“When the police questioned me, I told them everything. Kunaka told the police that she was coming from the gala while James said he was a mere passenger in the car.
“We were taken to Bindura CID and during the interviews I divulged all what had transpired. Later some lawyers came at the instruction of Bonongwe to represent them, Ngwenya told the court.”
Under cross examination by Bonongwe’s lawyer, Mr Prince Ganya, the witness denied that she was part of the robbery scheme, and that she was an accomplice.
The trial continues today at the High Court with the cross examination of the witness.
Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, sitting with two assessors, is presiding over the trial.
Charges against the six arose on October 15 last year, when Bonongwe allegedly hatched a plan to rob Eng Chitsungo. He allegedly instructed his uncle Gandi to assemble a team to carry out the mission.
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