Kambuzuma 1 High School robbery suspects appear in...

Kambuzuma 1 High School robbery suspects appear in court

Michael Mashiri

Men that allegedly went to Kambuzuma 1 High School, assaulted the security and stole two laptops and US$620 have been denied bail.

Farai Maramwidze, 28, Pearson Bukuta 37, and appeared before magistrate Apolonia Marutya at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts charged with robbery.

They were ordered to appear in court on April 3, for bail application.

The complainant in this matter is John Utete, 29.

The State, through prosecutor Thomas Chanakira, alleges that on March 18, the accused and their accomplices armed themselves with iron bars and went to Kambuzuma 1 High School.

They confronted Utete, who was manning the school premises.

The court heard that the accused persons assaulted Utete using iron bars.

They ordered him to sit before covering his face using his hat.

It is alleged that they then asked the number of guards who were on duty and he told them that they were many in a bid to scare them away but that did not work.

The accused persons then tied Utete’s hands and legs using a string and his waist belt.

One of the accused was left guarding Utete while the other four accused went to offices where they broke office doors.

While inside the offices they blasted a safe and stole 2x HP laptops and US$620 before disappearing from the scene.

Utete was assisted by the grounds man who then told the School Development Committee chairperson.

The SDC chair told the school authorities who visited the scene before filing a police report at ZRP Warren Park.

On March 28, the police were informed that Maramwidze had a laptop stolen from the scene.

A follow-up was made, leading to the arrest of one Banny Zinyoro and subsequent recovery of an HP Laptop with the screen saver of the laptop being that of the school SDC bursar.

It is alleged that Maramwidze led to Bukuta’s arrest.

The two accused were interviewed and admitted giving Zinyoro a laptop to sell and selling the other laptop to Oliver Chibi.

Chibi was arrested and he led police to the arrest of Aaron Mapfumo.

Mapfumo led the police to Frank Rujata whom he had sold the laptop, leading to the recovery of the gadget.

As a result, the value which was stolen was US$1 020 and US$200 was recovered.