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Prosper Dembedza-Court Correspondent

A Harare firm lost US$166 000 in a robbery that saw the company’s security guard being bundled into a Honda Fit and being dumped near Mukuvisi River.

Police have arrested three suspects and are on the trail of five others.

Yesterday, a third suspect, Justin Chibaya (37) appeared in court facing armed robbery charges.

Chibaya appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi, who remanded him in custody and told him only the High Court could entertain a bail application.

The court heard that on May 4 at around 8.50pm, Chibaya, who was in the company of Muchineripi Rambanepasi and Collen Chibowa who are already in custody, and five others who are still at large, approached the security guard.

It is the State’s case that one robber produced a pistol and ordered the security guard to lie on his back, and he complied. The gang tied his hands and legs from behind with cable ties and put him on the front passenger seat of their getaway car.

The court heard that one of the robbers remained behind guarding the security guard while three others searched for office keys and found them in the guard room.

They used the keys to open the front main doors and upon approaching the office that had cash, they forced open the door. 

While inside, they took a blue safe containing cash US$166 000 and loaded it into their getaway car, before dumping the security guard, whose hands were still tied, near Mukuvisi River along Ardbernnie Road.

The gang then drove off.

Part of the stolen money, amounting to US$11 000, was recovered from Chibaya, and he led police to the recovery of the getaway car.

He then led detectives to the place where they forced open the safe and some iron filings were picked up from there.