ONE of the two surviving alleged armed robbers who hit the Chadcombe home of retired CID Homicide detective Joseph Nemaisa appeared in court yesterday charged with 12 counts of armed robbery.
Former police constable Francis Takura (33) was not asked to plead to the charges when he appeared before magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko, who remanded him in custody to December 28.
Takura was arrested on Wednesday along with soldier Private Virimai Nyandaro, who is yet to appear in court.
He was found in possession of a UBL green speaker, a Rolex wristwatch, a Samsung Galaxy Note 8, a red pipe wrench, a bottle of Johnny Walker black label, a red libo wristwatch, small Samsung, USB cable, which were positively identified by those he had stolen them from, according to the State.
The State led by Anesu Chirenje alleges that in the wee hours of November 5, James Rikonda was asleep in his bedroom when he heard footsteps in the passage and as he woke up four men wearing balaclavas entered his bedroom armed with an AK47 assault rifle and a pistol.
The court heard that the suspected armed robbers forced Rikonda and his wife to lie down, remain silent and demanded cash.
They then ransacked the house and stole US$11 550, a wallet, iPhone 12 Pro Max, a pair of shoes, a baby bag, a Rolex wristwatch and a 9mm Norinco pistol.
They demanded more cash but were told that he kept cash at his workplace and so they allegedly demanded Rikonda’s Toyota Hilux GD6, force-marched him and his wife into the car and drove to the workplace where they stole US$10 000 and drove the couple back to their house.
Back at the house they allegedly assaulted Learnmore Ushe before robbing him of a laptop Xiaomi Note 7 and stole Tichaona Maworere’s tablet, Nokia, Itel, Samsung, HP620, six pairs of shoes, jewellery and other valuables.
In a second attack on December 1 at around 8pm, Tonderai Nunurai, Edith Madanhi, Daniel Nadzo went out of their Mabelreign house and returned after an hour when Nadzo, who was not feeling well, went to sleep in the spare bedroom leaving Nunurai preparing food in the kitchen.
While Nunurai was in the kitchen, he heard dogs barking and he went out to investigate, but saw nothing and asked Wadzanai Munhanga, who was outside the cottage, whether she had seen anything unusual.
He returned to the kitchen with the dogs sill barking and told his wife Edith Madanhi that he suspected there could have been people in the sanitary lane.
Investigating with a torch he saw three armed men standing by the precast wall and running back into the house.
The armed men then entered the house and ordered them to surrender their cell phones.
They were then force-marched to the main house where they saw three other armed men allegedly assaulting Nunurai and his wife with iron bars while demanding money.
The gang stole US$600 and shoes but blindfolded Nunurai and took him into the dining room along with his wife where they allegedly plugged in the iron and burnt him on the stomach and hands before further assaulting him with an iron bar.
They allegedly demanded keys to the Silver Opel Astra, Toyota Avensis and Honda Fit before finally ransacking the house and stealing six bottles of whiskey and a Samsung television set which they later left in the dining room.
On November 30 at around 10pm, Takura is alleged to have teamed up with his gang and went to Cold Comfort where Faith Mukombwe, Berita Mozala and Ancilla Muroiwa stay.
But Mukombwe heard some footsteps from outside the house and she pretended as if she was on the phone with someone whom she was inviting to come to their rescue.
This prompted Takura and his gang to disappear from the place.
kombwe loudly shouted “mbavha” but the gang forced open the screen door on the dining room and entered the house.
They allegedly robbed the household of US$2 100, a solar battery and inverter, 48 inch Samsung Curved TV set, cellphones and other valuables, loading the loot into an unregistered Toyota Regius and went away.
On December 6, at around 8.45pm Fadzanai Musarurwa arrived at home and saw three men walking near her house.
She closed the gate, parked her car and entered the sitting room through the main door joining her family.
After about five minutes, she heard her dogs barking viciously before she instructed her brother Masimba Musarurwa to lock the main door.
As Masimba was locking the door, she then heard that there was someone who was trying to force open the door.
Courage Nemaisa then quickly phoned his father Joseph Nemaisa telling him that there were intruders at the house.
The household was assaulted and Masimba handed over US$850, Samsung M20, Black Acer laptop and a shotgun.
But as the gang was about to leave the house, Joseph Nemaisa arrived armed with a 9mm Stribog pistol and exchanged fire.
Three members of the gang, Brian Koga Tendere, Charles Chirara and Tariro Gora were shot dead while Takura and Nyandaro escaped through the window.
Police attended the scene and recovered various weapons, 9mm Norinco Pistol with six rounds of ammunition.
Evidence gathered there led to the arrest of the other two suspects.
(The Herald)
