Zvikomborero Parafini
THREE suspected serial armed robbers have been charged with fresh counts of armed robbery and murder.
Lovemore Mbesa (43), Elvis Mugoni (23) and James Patrick Maricho (32) already face several pending armed robbery cases.
They appeared before magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa who remanded them in custody.
The State said on September 6, Mbesa allegedly picked up three passengers, including the complainant, in Mutare and drove them to Harare.
Mbesa allegedly called his accomplices, Mugoni and Maricho, to wait for him in the city centre, with the intention of robbing the passengers.
The accused allegedly grabbed the complainants by the neck and demanded cash and valuables, while Mugoni pointed a pistol at them.
The three then allegedly dumped the complainants in Mabuku before driving off at high speed.
In another case, Mbesa and Maricho were charged with murder.
The court heard that on August 18, the two were driving a Honda Fit when they offered a lift to the victim who intended to travel to the CBD from Makoni Shopping Centre.
The two diverted route into Boshoff Drive, Graniteside, and robbed the now deceased of her handbag and pushed her out of their moving vehicle, resulting in her death, after being run over.