Three Harare Avenues area night vendors, notorious for robbing and blackmailing their clients after night encounters, have been arrested and yesterday appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court facing robbery charges.
Yeukai Tsandukwa (27), Gailah Muroyi (25), Gamuchirayi Musviki (24) and a male accomplice, Tichaona Mujuru (30), who have other pending cases of a similar nature at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts, appeared before magistrate Nomsa Sabarauta, who remanded them in custody to today for bail ruling.
The three were all on warrants of arrest on other matters under case number CR 1288/01/17 at the same court.
The complainant in this matter is a 45-year-old man, Trust Mutero.
It is the State’s case that on June 27 this year Tsandukwa, Muroyi, Musviki, Mujuru and Natasha Jirira, Nyasha Madzivanyika and one Mike, who are all still at large, armed themselves with a pair of scissors and hatched a plan to rob Mutero.
Acting in common purpose, it is alleged Muroyi, a self-confessed lady of the night, lured Mutero to her room.
On entering the room, the State alleges other suspects followed in and threatened Mutero with death, and to take pictures and publish them in the H-Metro tabloid.
It is alleged the suspects searched Mutero and took $120 cash, bank ATM cards and mobile phones.
They allegedly forced him to divulge his bank and mobile money personal identification numbers (PIN).
The State alleges Tsandukwa made a mobile transfer of $500 from Mutero’s phone into Musviki’s account.
Tsandukwa allegedly took Mutero’s Agribank card and transferred $1 400 into the account of Sam Makonese, her boyfriend.
The suspects allegedly went to Puma Service Station, Msasa, where they did cashback of $480. They allegedly released Mutero at around 11pm.
When he was released, he immediately reported the matter to the police, leading to the three’s arrest.Mujuru, Tsandukwa, Musviki and Muroyi implicated Jirira, Madzivanyika and Mike.
The State alleges Mutero lost $2 500 in total and nothing was recovered.
Linda Gadzikwa appeared for the State.