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Yeukai Karengezeka

Court Correspondent

THREE men convicted of committing a fake robbery involving US$2,7 million from ZB Bank in Chinhoyi in 2021, will be sentenced tomorrow after the court yesterday heard evidence in aggravation and mitigation.

Harare regional magistrate Mr Clever Tsikwa convicted ZB employee Shadreck Njowa, the former internal security manager for cash in transit, as the mastermind of the robbery who roped in Tendai Zuze and Neverson Mwamuka as accomplices.

Making submissions in aggravation, prosecutor Mr Loveit Muringwa sought a heavy sentence since from the evidence led in court, there was prior planning and meditation.

He argued that Njowa played a significant role in the commissioning of the offence by providing valuable information about how ZB Bank functions and how it was going to execute its cash in transit. He noted that violence was used in the commissioning of the offence, though there were no serious injuries sustained by the cash-in-transit crew.

The defence counsel of the three submitted that the court was supposed to consider that there was no firearm recovered, no injuries sustained by the victims and the bank recovered its money through insurance.

They prayed that the court considers giving them a non-custodial sentence in the form of a fine or community service and in the worst scenario to be granted not more than six months’ imprisonment.

The lawyers also said the court was supposed to consider that the three had already served one year and five months in remand before conviction.

Meanwhile, the court yesterday granted an order of disposal to the other four  accused persons who were acquitted and are expected to be reimbursed their money amounting to US$234 000 following an application made by their lawyers.

The acquitted are Trymore Chapfika, Tozivepi Chirara, Tatenda Gadzikwa and Dennis Madondo.