Michael Mashiri
Zim Now Correspondent
An armed robber, who participated in the Quest Financial Services robbery, has been jailed for 12 years with one year of the sentence being suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Obvious Kuwanza, 28, of Hopley Zone 6, appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts charged with armed robbery.
The complainant in this matter is Quest Financial Services Bank, represented by its head of operations, Daniel Mandizvidza, 54.
The State alleges that February 23, at around 1645 hours, Mandizvidza knocked off duty at work, number 6 Rochester Road, Belgravia in Harare.
The court heard that he had made sure that that all the company premises were locked and a vault with US$720 676, R10 500, Euro 120 and other valuables was locked.
It is alleged that Mandizvidza assigned one Lancelot Tashayawedu, a private security guard who manned the premises overnight to secure the property as always.
On February 25, it is alleged that at around 0100 hours, Kuwanza and other who are already in remand prison, went to the premises armed with a revolver, unidentified blank pistol, an electric drill, iron bar, bolt cutter and cut the security fence at the front of the yard and got in.
They confronted Tashayawedu, who was asleep in one of the rooms at the back of the main building, and threatened to harm him if he resisted.
They tied his hands and legs with electric cables, together with his girlfriend.
One of the accused was left guarding him while others went to the main office building and used an iron bar to break open one of the doors and opened one of the windows and entered.
They searched several offices, which include the main server, the managing director’s office and board room.
They allegedly stole 2xHp laptops and a WiFi router.
They allegedly used detonators to blast open the vault and stole US$720 676, R10 500, Euro 120, a 7.65mm CZ Vzor pistol.
They left the premises after a safeguard team arrived at the scene.
One of the accused fired two shots in the air to scare them and they fled using the back space of a neighbouring yard and went away.
The matter was reported at ZRP Avondale on the same day at around 0145 hours.
It is alleged that there was CCTV footage which was produced of the accused where three of them were identified Washington Mangwanda, Brighton Chikukwa and Silence Matambo.
A manhunt began, leading to the arrest of Mangwanda in Ardbennie with US$21 000, he was interviewed and indicated that he was part of the team that had committed the offence with Kawanza.
On March 1, police picked information that Kawanza was featuring on the CCTV footage of the scene, covering his face with a blue cloth and wielding an iron bar in the office where they blasted the vault.
He was arrested in Chipinge and was found with US$20 000.
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