Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
A DRIVER accused of masterminding a US$600 000 robbery at the Harare central business district (CBD) shop of former Zimbabwe Warriors team manager and Dynamos chairman, Rafiq Adam, allegedly received only US$10 000 as his share of the loot, the court heard yesterday.
Samson Gora (35), who worked for Adam’s company, Merchantman Enterprises, appeared before Regional Magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei facing charges of armed robbery.
He was remanded to July 16 and advised to approach the High Court for a bail application.
Gora is the first suspect to be arrested in connection with the daring heist, which occurred on June 16.
Prosecutor Mr Rufaro Chonzi told the court that Gora supplied crucial information about the location of the cash at his workplace, paving the way for his accomplices to execute the robbery.
The robbery crew, identified as Nyengerayi Chikwadze (alias Chipato), Oscar Muchenje and two unidentified South African nationals, posed as legitimate clients before launching the attack at 93 Cameroon Street in Harare.
Armed with a pistol, one of the suspects assaulted the complainant, who was seated at the reception, hitting him on the forehead with the weapon’s butt and demanding money.
The complainant handed over US$500 and keys to the office safe.
The suspects then forcibly led the complainant to the office, opened the safe, and seized US$600 000.
They also looted personal items, including an iPhone 13 Pro and a Samsung Fold from the director’s office, as well as a Samsung Galaxy, a Samsung 04, an iPhone 16 Pro Max, and a V-Lion cellphone from four employees in the cash office.
The gang fled the scene, but dropped an iPhone 16 Pro Max and a Samsung Galaxy along Leopold Takawira Street, escaping with the rest of their loot.
On June 27, detectives from CID Homicide Harare received intelligence linking Gora to the robbery.
He was arrested at his workplace and, during questioning, admitted to providing his accomplices with information about the cash.
Gora disclosed that he had received US$10 000 from Chikwadze, who claimed to have been given US$20 000 by the other accomplices, including the South Africans.
The accused later led detectives to his brother, Willard Gora’s residence, where part of the stolen goods and cash were recovered.
Police recovered US$4 400 in cash, three Samsung Note 20 cellphones, three Samsung Galaxy cellphones (bought for US$1 500), and a Toyota Hiace minibus with registration number AFT1573, all bought using proceeds from the robbery.
Investigations into the remaining suspects and other stolen items are ongoing.
