THREE police officers who allegedly robbed an Indian businessman of $56 000 at a fake roadblock, were yesterday denied bail by High Court judge Justice Happias Zhou, who ruled they are a flight risk given the nature of the offence and the circumstances in which it was committed.
Source: ‘Robbery cops’ denied bail in $56 000 heist – NewsDay Zimbabwe September 17, 2016
BY CHARLES LAITON
Justice Zhou said although the State had shown signs of consenting to the release of the three men, Dickson Morosi (32), Kundai Makwarimba (35) and Fortune Sibanda (29), the court felt it was not in the interest of justice to have them freed because they would interfere with State witnesses thereby undermining the justice delivery system.
“The offence is a very serious one in that it was committed by police officers wearing police uniforms and mounting a fake roadblock in the name of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP),” Justice Zhou said.
“Such offences attract a lengthy prison term, and if accused will be convicted they are likely to face a lengthy prison term and that may induce them to abscond.”
The court further said there were high chances that the suspects, if released on bail, would intimidate the complainant as there were such signs of intimidation already.
The judge said the suspects tried to influence the complainant, Junaid Pervaiz, by asking him to reduce the figure involved in the matter from $56 000 to $3 550, but later failed to account for the cash they had used to buy vehicles, a day after the robbery.
Justice Zhou left the gallery in stitches when he gave an example of an old African proverb which talks of an old lady going missing only to find a hyena vomiting a woman’s white hair.
The judge said it was not mere coincidence that a businessman lost cash and the police officers woke up the following day owning cars. The judge further said there were compelling reasons to deny the accused liberty.
Seven of the cops’ alleged accomplices are still at large.
Allegations against the trio are that on July 26 this year at around 2pm, they, in the company of their colleagues, mounted a fake roadblock in Belvedere, Harare, and robbed Pervaiz after accusing him of carrying huge sums of cash.
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