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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A security guard manning Bak Storage in Willowvale, Harare allegedly stamped the warehouse keys on a bar of soap and gave his accomplices the soap for them to make duplicate keys, which they used to unlock the warehouse and steal various gadgets worth $322 248.

The guard, Gilbert Chirimbayi is still at large while his alleged accomplices Solomon Madhombi (42), Ezrom Manyonde (30) and Tawanda Mawere (35) who had been on the run since February last year, were nabbed last week.

Madhombi is from Mbare while Manyonde is from Glen View and Mawere from Budiriro.

The trio yesterday appeared in court before magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe.

They are being charged with unlawful entry into premises in aggravating circumstances.

Mr Mahwe remanded them in custody to today for bail application.

Appearing for the State, prosecutor Mrs Idah Mateke-Maromo alleged that during the period extending from December 2013 to February last year, the trio acting in connivance with Chirimbayi hatched a plan to steal from Bak Storage.

In pursuant to their plan, Chirimbayi stamped the warehouse keys on a bar of soap and gave Mawere the bar of soap so that he could make duplicate keys.

It is the State’s case that the accused persons proceeded to the warehouse and Chirimbayi who was on duty guarding the premises, let them into the yard.

They used the duplicate keys to open the warehouse, the court heard. They allegedly stole 172 laptops, a desktop and 172 flash disks all valued at $322 248.

The court further heard that they sold the laptops to various people around Harare.

Goods worth only $12 782 were recovered.