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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
TWO Harare businessmen allegedly connived with bogus police detectives and robbed their colleague of $85 000 and mobile phones, the court heard yesterday.

Keagan Paul Blumears (33) reportedly lured Taghlan Hovsep to his house on the pretext that his friend was selling a Hyundai excavator before communicating with his alleged accomplices, Eddie Zviitwa and the bogus detectives.

The detectives “arrested” Hovsep for dealing in minerals and supporting Team Lacoste before taking away his money.

Zviitwa, the State alleged, left together with the detectives on the pretext he was going to negotiate with them to release his money but he later came back empty-handed claiming that the money had been taken by senior officers.

Blumears, who is being represented by Mr Admire Rubaya, yesterday appeared before Mr Elijah Makomo charged with theft.

With the State’s consent, he was granted $300 bail coupled with some conditions.

His alleged accomplices, Zviitwa and the said detectives, are on the run.

Prosecuting, Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that on March 29 at around 9am, Hovsep went to Blumears house intending to buy a Hyundai excavator which Blumears alleged was coming from his friend’s mine.

Hovsep went with $85 000, the court heard.

When he got to Blumears’ house, Hovsep was told that the owner of the excavator was on his way.

He waited for more than two hours but Blumears told him to be patient saying that the person would soon arrive.

Hovsep later gave up and decided to leave the house.

As he was reversing his vehicle, another vehicle – a Mercedes-Benz – suddenly blocked his way and three men got out of the vehicle.

They identified themselves as police detectives and one of them flashed an identification card, the State alleged.

They said they were looking for Hovsep saying that they had been tracking him and was on Interpol’s wanted list.

It is the State’s case that Blumears pointed at Hovsep and the detectives pounced on him.

They told him he was under arrest for dealing in drugs, minerals and supporting Team Lacoste.

One of them handcuffed him while others ransacked his vehicle and took the bag which contained $85 000.

They secretly placed some unknown drugs into his bag before accusing him of dealing in drugs as well.

While they were still at Blumears’ house, Zviitwa suddenly appeared.

He claimed to have come to help Hovsep so that he would not be deported or detained at the police station.

It is the State’s case that Zviitwa spoke to the said detectives and they removed the handcuffs from Hovsep’s hands.

The detectives took the $85 000, two mobile phones and a wallet.

According to the State, there is proof of communication between Blumears and Zviitwa while the person who was said to be selling an excavator denied ever communicating with Blumears to that effect.