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Court Reporter

FIVE armed robbers facing allegations of attempting to rob passengers aboard an Urban Connect Bus that was travelling to Beitbridge, are expected back in court today.

Thandazani Sibanda, Maxwell Zhou, Enock Nkomo, Erisnos Tarwira and Munyaradzi Shoko were not asked to plead to the charges when they appeared before Harare magistrate Judith Taruvinga last Friday, who remanded them in custody to today for bail ruling.

The State led by Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa opposed bail saying they were likely to flee, as they had not furnished them with their addresses.

Mr Mutizirwa told the court that the five were arrested in the bus while in possession of guns and other weapons they intended to use in the robbery.

The State said the conductor of the bus spotted the five disembarking from an unregistered car and boarded the bus while carrying their bag loaded with weapons.

The five denied ever being caught with the weapons saying the bag with weapons was retrieved from the driver’s backseat.

Allegations facing the five are that on December 15 at around 7pm, they arrived at Mbudzi Roundabout where they disembarked from an unregistered Toyota Wish.

They were allegedly armed with a pistol, airgun, knives and other weapons. It is said they boarded the bus and bought tickets as if they were travelling to Beitbridge.

Police were tipped off leading to the five’s arrest.