A police officer who was stationed at Nkulumane Police Station in Bulawayo allegedly sent a gang of four robbers to rob his best friend.
B-Metro reported that businessman Never Sarukore who was recently robbed at gunpoint, later discovered that his friend, Detective Constable Wellington Ndoro was the mastermind of the robbery.
In that robbery which took place at his home in Nkulumane suburb, Sarukore was robbed of US$5 300 and R14 000.
Ndoro was arrested in Victoria Falls during the Festive Season and is now being charged with several armed robberies that he allegedly masterminded in and around Bulawayo.
He had gone to the resort town with his gang on an armed robbery mission with a list of targets when he was arrested.
Ndoro allegedly supplied information to his accomplices and transported them under the cover of darkness to rob his friend Sarukore.
Speaking to B-Metro, Ndoro said even when detectives from the police’s homicide section asked him who he suspected, Ndoro’s name never crossed his mind. He said:
I never suspected Ndoro because to me he was a friend who would protect me.
Sarukore narrated the sequence of events on the night when the armed robbers raided his home. He said:
When I was sleeping at home with my family four robbers who were armed with a pistol, bolt-cutter, and tyre lever used the tools to open the door and entered through the sitting room and walked straight to my bedroom.
When I heard footsteps we woke up, one of the robbers pointed a gun at me and demanded US$20 000.
I told them that I do not have such an amount of money but they said they were told that I have it.
They looked scary. One was hooded while the other had bloodshot eyes and scars on his face.
They threatened to shoot me dead but I maintained that I do not have such an amount.
I told them that I had US$5 300 and R14 000 and surrendered it to them. They also took four cellphones and a laptop.
They threatened to kill my wife and forced-marched me to my house helper’s bedroom and took US$100 from her.
They spent almost an hour insisting that they wanted US$20 000 but I stood my ground and told them that I don’t have such an amount.
One of the robbers told me straight to my face that they were instructed not to attack me but to take the money only. After an hour they gave up and left.
Sarukore said the following day he met Ndoro near Nkulumane Complex and told him about the ordeal. He said:
I met him by chance near Nkulumane Complex while he was driving to Kelvin North to service his car.
I told him that I had been robbed and he expressed shock and seemed to be in a hurry.
He told me that he would embark on a journey. After a day I received a call from another friend informing me that Ndoro had been arrested in Victoria Falls for attempted robbery.
After that, I began to suspect that he could be the one behind the robbery at my home.
Sarukore’s suspicions were confirmed when the suspects who were brought by detectives from CID Homicide for indications revealed that his best friend was the mastermind of the robbery. He said:
The suspects opened up and told me that they were given information by Ndoro and they were told to get US$20 000.
They even told me that he drove them to my house and warned them never to attack me or any member of my family but to take the money only and that’s what they did.
They told me that Ndoro had taken all the cellphones and a laptop. And they shared the money equally.
Sarukore said his friendship with Ndoro dated four years back and their families always visited each other. He said:
Ndoro and I were very close. His family and my family always visited each other. Ndoro knows every interior corner or part of my rooms.
Our friendship dates back four years when he was still stationed at Nkulumane Police Station before he was transferred to Gwanda.
Even when he was in Gwanda our bond remained strong as we communicated quite often. We always visited each other.
Recently he was transferred back to Nkulumane Police Station and our friendship remained strong.
He also revealed that they used to attend the same church but along the way, Ndoro stopped going to church.
More: Pindula News