Man accused of selling car then robbing new owner

Michael Mashiri

A man who allegedly sold a car to the complainant and then went to his house with his accomplices to steal that same car has been denied bail.

Tinashe Mhere, 27, of Glenwood Park, Epworth, Nyasha Ndumo, 32, of PPU Tomilson, Luckmore Makwara, 21, Kambuzuma, Section 5, Peter Maodzeka, 51, of Chizungu, Epworth and Raymond Banda, 28, of Mufakose, appeared before magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa at the Harare Magistrates' Courts charged with armed robbery.

The State, through prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti, alleges that on August 23, 2023, Mhere allegedly sold to the complainant in this matter, Jaison Mufanebadza, a white Toyota Fortuner.

They signed an agreement of sale and Mufanebadza was given the registration book.

On September 25, 2023, the five accused, together with two others who are still at large, came up with a plan to steal Mufanebadza's car from him.

Ndumo, Makwara, Maodzeka and Banda, allegedly masqueraded as detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department, CID, Vehicle Theft Squad and Mhere as a fugitive who had sold a stolen motor vehicle to Mufanebadza.

They allegedly went to Mufanebadza's place of residence in an unmarked Toyota Wish belonging to Banda and found him in the house.

Ndumo who was armed with an unknown type of pistol went into the house and told Mufanebadza and family that they were detectives from CID Vehicle Theft and that they were investigating a case of a car in which the Toyota Fortuner was said to have been stolen.

Mufanebadza managed to identify Mhere as the person who had sold the car to him.

The accused then handcuffed Mufanebadza as well and started assaulting him in front of his family with open fists and a baton stick.

One of the accused persons started driving the car and they all drove off claiming to go to the CID VTS Office Harare offices.

They also took the registration and agreement of sale from Mufanebadza.

Along the way they were assaulting and threatening to shoot him accusing him of working in cahoots with Mhere.

They allegedly then demanded money from Mufanebadza to buy his freedom and he gave them US$3 000.

They unhand-cuffed him and later dumped him along Simon Mazorodze Road in Ardbennie, Harare.

On September 27, the accused persons went to Prince Edward Car Garages to sell the car, but were arrested for impersonating Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission officials.

The value that was stolen was US$12 620 and the value recovered was US$9 500.

They were ordered to approach the High Court because of the nature of their crime. They will appear in court on October 24, for routine remand.