In a shocking turn of events, a 54-year Harare lawyer Elatane Bonongwe has been arrested for orchestrating $30,000 home robbery in Bindura.
According to source, Bonongwe, who runs the law firm Bonongwe and Partners Legal Practice, was arrested on allegations of masterminding a robbery that resulted in the theft of property and cash worth over US$30,000.
Accompanied by his uncle, Musa Gandi, and accomplices Agness Kunaka, Raby Gwenya, and Tafadzwa Obrey Chipashu, Bonongwe faced a total of seven robbery charges during his appearance before a Bindura magistrate. Four other robbers involved in the case are still on the run
According to the prosecutors, Bonongwe reached out to his uncle, Gandi, with the objective of forming a team capable of infiltrating the residence owned by Emson Chitsungo in Elatane Bonongwe. Bonongwe then guided the suspects to Chitsungo’s property, where he left them to execute the heist, by breaching the security wall at midnight
Upon gaining entry to the premises, the accused subjected the victims to brutal violence, using iron bars, physical assault, and even resorting to burning Chitsungo with a heated iron, all while demanding cash and valuable items.
The accused plundered the entire house, making off with a range of electrical gadgets valued at over US$20,000, and a sum of $1,600 in cash before fleeing the scene in the direction of Harare.
However, their escape was short-lived. On their way to Harare, the group encountered a police roadblock, leading to a high-stakes confrontation with the authorities.
An attempt by the police to search their vehicle resulted in the suspects fleeing on foot into the cover of the night. In response, the police at the roadblock fired warning shots, ultimately compelling Gandi, Kunaka, Gwenya, and Chipashu to surrender. Meanwhile, four other accomplices managed to elude capture.
The following day, Elatane Bonongwe was nabbed, after his alleged accomplices implicated him in the crime. In light of the serious charges against him, Bonongwe was remanded in custody, with instructions to seek bail at the High Court.
Source iHarare
