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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter—

A police officer has been sentenced to an effective seven years in prison for robbing a taxi driver of $9 and other valuables.

Peter Kache (26), who worked at Parliament Building, hired a taxi to Epworth after lying to the cab driver that he wanted to pick up his sick wife and take her to hospital.

Kache was sentenced to 10 years in jail by Harare magistrate Ms Bianca Makwande before three were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

In passing sentence, Ms Makwande said Kache’s moral blameworthiness was high as he was an officer of the law whose duty was to protect the public.

He robbed Tawanda Mahachi of City Centre Taxis.

The prosecutor, Ms Ressy Nyamombe, told the court that on December 6 this year at around midnight, Kache, who was armed with a pistol and in police uniform, approached Mahachi, who was parked at a city hotel.

Kache lied to Mahachi that he wanted to ferry his ill wife from Epworth to Parirenyatwa Hospital.

They agreed a fee of $20 and Mahachi drove to Epworth.

Kache did not immediately pay the fare.

On reaching Solani Shopping Centre in Epworth, Kache asked Mahachi to turn into Garanganga Road.

He ordered the taxi driver to park outside a house and disembarked, before asking to use Mahachi’s phone.

Mahachi offered to help Kache carry his wife to the taxi.

Kache produced a pistol and ordered him to surrender his valuables.

Mahachi complied and surrendered his Samsung 5560 phone and $9 before he was ordered to go.

He went to Epworth Police Station and made a report.

Mahachi was assigned police officers to attend the scene and they proceeded to Overspill Shopping Cen- tre.

They spotted Kache in one of the nightclubs enjoying himself.

He drew his pistol when he saw Mahachi in the company of the officers who then wrestled him.

During the scuffle, Kache discharged one shot from the firearm, but was eventually overpowered.

Police recovered Mahachi’s phone and $8 from Kache’s pockets.

Meanwhile, a Harare man appeared before a city magistrate yesterday facing robbery and attempted robbery charges, writes Takudzwa Matambura.

Pius Mukurumbira (50) appeared before magistrate Ms Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro who remanded him in custody to January 12, 2017.

He was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.

Prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that on October 13, 2015 at around midnight the complainant was driving her vehicle heading home.

It is alleged that when she arrived home she parked her car in front of the gate.

However, she observed two men standing near the gate holding a pistol and an axe.

Upon realising they were robbers, the woman tried to drive away, but one of the accused persons fired a shot that deflated the right front tyre of the vehicle thereby foiling her escape bid.

It is alleged Mukurumbira and his accomplices, who are still at large, went on to smash the vehicle’s right window with an axe and ordered the complainant and her friends to disembark from the car and lie down.

Mukurumbira went on to search the vehicle and stole the complainant’s hand- bag containing $2 000, two cellphones and airtime recharge cards worth $1 200.

He also went on to search Clive Taderera, who was in the car, and stole his $30 and recharge cards worth $200.

The court heard that Mukurumbira and his accomplices sped off in their getaway car.

It is the State’s case that a year later on October 28 around 7 pm Mukurumbira in the company of his accomplices hatched a plan to rob the same person for the second time.

They followed her while driving a Nissan Serena.

It is alleged that the complainant noticed she was being followed and alerted the police.

Detectives from CID Homicide rushed to the scene to monitor Mukurumbira’s movements.

The complainant went and parked her vehicle at a Nando’s food outlet in the city and disembarked.

One of the accused, Carrington Mutevera, then followed the women into the shop where he tried to snatch her bag.

Mutevera wrestled with the complainant before the detectives came to her rescue.

It is alleged that Mukurumbira, who was behind the wheel, then took off at high speed while his accomplice Mutevera tried to run away on foot.

He was apprehended and has since appeared in court.

The court heard that on being interogated Mutevera implicated Mukurumbira.

Mukurumbira was arrested in Harare’s Central Business District on Tuesday.

The getaway vehicle was found parked at Mukurumbira’s house in Epworth.