AN ARMED man who allegedly masqueraded as a police officer before robbing motorists of cash and property worth more than $300, has been locked up in remand cells.
SILAS NKALA
Evans Chakaingesu (34) of Lusaka Lines in Highfield, Harare, was not asked to plead to a charge of robbery when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Takundwa Witness Mtetwa.
The magistrate remanded him to Monday for trial.
The court heard that on July 3 2012, Chakaingesu in the company of Tapiwa Chivhunga and another accomplice — still at large — met the complainant Raymond Bekker at Sky Yorks Service Station, situated along Robert Mugabe Way, between 5th and 6th Avenue in Bulawayo.
They allegedly produced Zimbabwe Republic Police identity cards and introduced themselves as police officers and then demanded to search his vehicle. They took a machete. The three accused told Bekker he was under arrest, at the same time ordering him to get into their vehicle, a station wagon with tinted glasses.
They allegedly drove away in his car and when they reached a secluded area, they allegedly produced a pistol and robbed him of R1 800, $50, a Nokia cellphone and a Blackberry phone.
It is the State case that on July 11 2012 Chakaingesu was at the 20km peg along Bulawayo–Gwanda Road when he saw another complainant, whose name was not given in court papers, who had parked his vehicle on the roadside.
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He allegedly approached him and produced a ZRP identity card before introducing himself as a policeman. Chakaingesu then allegedly demanded to search the vehicle and in the process took an Amazon Kindle Laptop, small black and green bags containing $97 and R700 in cash.
The complainant tried to repossess his property but Chakaingesu produced a knife threatening to stab him before puncturing one of the complainant’s vehicle wheels using his knife.
He allegedly drove off in a KIA Sportage vehicle, registration number ABA 1438, leaving the complainant stranded.
A report made to the police led to Chakaingesu’s arrest.
His accomplices on the first count are still at large.
Property worth $200 was recovered from him.
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