Three armed robbers who were convicted on Friday of robbing ZB Bank of US$2.7 million in 2021 have been jailed for 10 years each, reported NewsDay.
Shadreck Njowa, Tendai Zuze and Neverson Mwamuka were sentenced by Harare regional magistrate Clever Tsikwa on Wednesday, 04 October 2023.
However, they will serve eight years each after the magistrate suspended two years on condition of good behaviour.
Njowa, the former internal security manager for cash-in-transit, was the mastermind of the robbery.
The State, represented by Loveit Muringwa, had urged the court to impose a harsher sentence for the convicted trio.
The State will also confiscate US$20 500 from Njowa, US$35 032 and ZWL$360 000 from Zuze and US$74 800 and ZWL$675 000 from Mwamuka.
The convicts’ alleged four accomplices, Trymore Chapfikwa, Tozivepi Chirara, Dennis Madondo and Tatenda Gadzikwa, were acquitted.
The four successfully filed an application for disposal and the State is supposed to reimburse them a sum of US$234 000.
This was despite protests by the State which felt that the four had not submitted evidence to show that the money belonged to them.
Meanwhile, in sentencing Njowa, Zuze and Mwamuka, Tsikwa said the trio deserved a harsh sentence. He ruled:
A sentence of around 10 years would be appropriate and two years suspended on condition that they do not commit the same offence in a period of five years.
The convicts’ five vehicles were forfeited to the State.
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