A Chitungwiza woman who held the 52-year-old former teacher of her 15-year-old daughter captive for five days and extorted more than US$5 000 from him after he had been brought to the house by her daughter has been arrested.
Rumbidzai Tauro (40) is facing kidnapping charges before Chitungwiza resident magistrate Mr Sheunesu Matova.
The trial is ongoing and the State has so far led three witnesses.
Prosecutor, Mr Bart Malunga, alleges that on November 30 last year at around 5pm Gerald Madamombe ( 52) was lured by the minor to visit her at home.
Upon arrival, Mr Madamombe was taken to Tauro’s bedroom where he sat on the bed and within a few minutes he heard a knock on the door.
The minor told him that her mother was back and he had to hide in the en-suite bathroom.
When Tauro entered into her house, she found Mr Madamombe hiding and accused him of having an affair with her daughter.
She then locked him in the house and called Tinotenda Migiyi, who has already appeared before the court, and two others, who are still at large to come to her house.
When Migiyi and his accomplices arrived, they assaulted Mr Madamombe with different types of weapons all over the body.
They ordered him to remove everything in his pockets as well as his clothes and he complied.
Prosecution further alleged that the gang then demanded US$400 from the teacher to stop the assault, but he only offered them US$100 which they rejected.
He then made a call to his friend Brighton Gazimbi for assistance with cash and they agreed to meet at Makoni Shopping Centre around midnight.
Just before the agreed time, when Mr Gazimbi told them that he was on his way, Tauro however told him that their car had developed a problem and they could not make it to the rendezvous.
The next morning at around 8am Tauro phoned Mr Gazimbi and they met at Makoni shops near Speciss college where she was given US$210 for the release of Mr Madamombe.
But Tauro demanded more cash, and Mr Madamombe told them that he was only left with money in his account and that they were in possession of the bank card. The gang demanded the PIN and then went to Makoni Shopping Centre to withdraw the money.
When they returned from the shopping centre, the gang started assaulting Mr Madamombe with a hose pipe and tied both his hands and legs for giving them a blocked ATM card.
On 5 December at around 11am detectives from CID Chitungwiza received a tip-off that Mr Madamombe, who was reported missing, had been kidnapped by the gang and was at their residence.
When detectives arrived at the house they rescued Mr Madamombe who was in the bedroom with hands tied up with a piece of cloth. He was taken to a hospital for medical examination.
The total value extorted is US$5 184 and only US$243 was recovered.
Some of the groceries, tiles, adhesives and paint bought by the accused using his card are held at the police station as proceeds of crime.
The receipts and CCTV footage from Colcom and TM supermarket Zengeza where the gang shopped, and the medical affidavit are being presented as evidence..
