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Court Reporter

THE State will be withdrawing charges against two of the three men who were escorting the almost US$2,8 million in a ZB Bank vehicle, after police investigations found they were not involved.

Charges will be pressed against the third member of the team who will be tried together with 13 other suspects.

The robbery occurred along the Harare-Chinhoyi Road on January 6.

Prosecutor Mr Moses Mapanga told Harare magistrate Mr Sheunesu Matova that the State intended to withdraw cases against Nomatter Jonga and Mathew Simango, after it emerged they did not participate in the heist, but intended to press ahead with the trial of Fanuel Musakwa and 13 other suspects.

The investigating officer in the matter had deposited an affidavit with the State indicating that Jonga and Simango did not participate in the robbery.

Jonga and Simango were immediately released on $2 000 bail each pending the formal withdrawal of the charges and ordered to return to court on February 17 when some of the suspects are also expected.

ZB Bank lost US$2 775 000 and $43 090, which was to be distributed among ZB branches, with Chinhoyi receiving US$75 000, Kadoma US$25 000, Kwekwe and Gweru US$150 000 each, Bulawayo US$2 million, Gwanda US$50 000 and Zvishavane US$100 000.

Jonga, Simango and Musakwa were travelling in a Toyota Hilux single cab with a canopy secured with a tracker and emergency panic button fitted on the cash delivery trip when the heist occurred after they collected a box containing $43 090 at the first tollgate for banking.

Upon reaching the 60km peg, the car was stopped and an Isuzu twin-cab immediately arrived at the scene with people armed with pistols.

They took the bank’s Hilux about 900 metres off the road and off-loaded the cash boxes, before disappearing.