Zimpapers Logo

Senior Court Reporter

A suspected member of the gang of armed robbers who committed a spate of robberies while pretending to be police officers has appeared in court on charges of robbing a Harare family US$30 500 and other valuables.

Witness Nyarupa, alias Marori, appeared at the Harare magistrates court charged with robbery.

He was not asked to plead to the charges when he appeared before magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko, who remanded him in custody to February 13. As with all robbery suspects, he must make any bail application to the High Court.

Prosecuting, Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti said that on December 18 at around 11.30am, Nyarupa and other gang members went to a house in Harare posing as police officers.

Upon arrival, they told the maid they wanted to arrest her employer for dealing in dangerous drugs.

They allegedly produced fake police identity cards and demanded to search the house. It is alleged that the gang demanded that the maid show them where her employer kept money and threatened to shoot her if she did not comply.

The court heard the maid showed the gang where the money was stored and they took US$30 500 and other valuables.

Nyarupa was arrested on January 6 this year in Kambuzuma. He was allegedly found in possession of the safe where the family kept their money and two passports belonging to the family members when they were robbed.