Images Newsday: A Zimbabwe National Army soldier and a CID detective officer were on Thursday arraigned on charges of taking part in a heist at ABC Auctions in Harare during which cash and jewellery worth over US$1.2 million was stolen.
Cop, Kelvin Marimo, 42, and 36-year-old trooper Onisenge Zvomunya were not asked to plead when they appeared before Harare magistrate Taurai Manuwere.
They were remanded in custody to October 27 and advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
Prosecutors say the October 8 robbery was a conspiracy between eight men, one of whom was shot and killed by detectives on Wednesday in unclear circumstances, a day after he was arrested.
The National Prosecuting Authority alleges that the eight including the late Trymore Bondamakara and his brother, Bibience Bondamakara, who is still at large, proceeded to ABC Auctions on Seke Road at around 1AM.
They allegedly scaled over the security wall and approached security guards Langton Ziromba and Editor Meda with guns drawn.
The two guards were ordered to lie down and the robbers tied their hands and legs with shoe laces. The guards were searched and their mobile phones and panic buttons seized.
The men proceeded into the auction house premises where prosecutors say they forced open six safes using grinders and explosives.
They allegedly took US$1,014,000 in cash and jewellery worth US$250,000. The jewellery included gold coins, diamond rings, gold rings and gold chains.
Prosecutors say police made their breakthrough on October 11 when they arrested Trymore Bondamakara, Marimo and Zvomunya.
This led to the recovery of US$14,239 cash, several watches, gold chains and diamond rings.
Meanwhile, prosecutors are also charging the men with another robbery at Steward Bank offices on Churchill Road in Harare’s Gunhill suburb on October 5.
Prosecutors say security guard Tawanda Panganai was doing a perimeter check at around 6PM when six men accosted him with guns pointed. He was disarmed of a pistol he was carrying with five rounds of ammunition.
After the robbers used iron bars to force their way into the premises, they allegedly opened two safes and found them empty. They took a third safe which the bank advised police was also empty.
The bank said it suffered losses of US$1,350 from the damaged and stolen safes.
On Thursday, 13 October 2022, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) issued a statement confirming the arrest of three suspects in connection with the robbery incident. Full statement:
ARREST OF THREE SUSPECTS IN CONNECTION WITH A CASE OF ARMED ROBBERY WHICH OCCURRED AT ABC AUCTIONS, HARARE
The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms the death of Trymore Bondamakara (37) during a shoot-out with the Police in Epworth and the arrest of Kelvin Marimo (42) and Osinenge Zvomuya (36) in connection with a robbery case which occurred on 7th October 2022 at Sagittarian Private Limited, trading as ABC Auction, along Seke Road, Braeside, Harare in which US$ 1 014 031.00 cash and jewellery worth US$ 250 000.00 were stolen.
On 11th October 2022 detectives from CID Homicide had a confrontation with the suspects, Trymore Bondamakara and Kelvin Marimo after receiving information that linked them to the ABC Auction robbery case.
The suspects implicated Osinenge Zvomuya and Bibience Bondamakara and five other suspects who are still at large.
The detectives arrested Osinenge Zvomuya and recovered US$ 8 520.00 after tracking him to Madziwa, Mashonaland Central.
Investigations by the detectives established that Osinenge Zvomuya bought a residential stand in Madziwa for US$6 000.00 after he was given a share of US$25 000.00 from the money stolen at ABC Auctions.
On 12th October 2022, Police recovered a 0.38 Amadeo Rossi Revolver at Belivista Farm, Epworth from Trymore Bondamakara.
Trymore Bondamakara tried to escape and a shoot-out ensued with the detectives. The suspect was taken to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals where he died upon admission.
Further investigations by the detectives led to the recovery of the suspect’s get-away vehicle, a Toyota Aqua vehicle, registration number, AFP 3293, three watches, a necklace, two Patric Mavros Silver ladies cuffs, an 18 carat diamond ring, Cartier Fountain pen and four gold rings in Solomio, Ruwa.
The suspects are also linked to an armed robbery case which occurred on 5th October 2022 at a bank along Churchil Road, Gunhill, Harare in which the suspects disarmed a security guard before stealing a 0.22 Special Revolver, Vivo cellphone and two empty chubb safes, and an unlawful entry into premises and theft case which occurred on 06th September 2022 at Edurate Investments along Seke Road, Allington Estates, Hatfield in which US$ 110 000.00 cash was stolen.
Police’s comprehensive investigations in order to clear all the cases in which the suspects are linked are in progress.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has intensified operations against armed robbery syndicates across the country and will not rest until all criminals involved are brought to book.
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