Harare magistrate, Mr Dennis Mangosi has granted US$200 bail to each of the 11 people who last week appeared in court on allegations of misrepresenting as police officers and kidnapping someone before demanding a ransom of US$120 000 from his relatives.
As part of their bail conditions, the 11 were ordered to report once every Friday at CID Homicide Harare Central and to continue residing at their given addresses.
Guo Zairen, Wangu Gao and Charles Matondo were ordered to surrender their passports to the clerk of court.
Zairen (34), Gao (40), Primrose Miga (34), Matondo (46), Tonderai Naison Kaja (34), Charles Notice (34) Christopher Chirombe (34),O’brian Miti (31), Simbarashe Kumba (24), Carlington Konselia (28) and Oswel Tinotenda Tsikai ( 29) are facing kidnapping charges.
The State opposed bail arguing that the suspects could flee the court’s jurisdiction.
“Some of the accused persons are capable of fleeing if freed since they tried to escape from police officers,” said Investigating officer, Detective Gentle Tapererwa.
The matter was deferred to May 24 for trial commencement.
The court heard that on April 17 at around 3 pm, the suspects hatched a plan to kidnap the complainant and demand a ransom for his release.
Acting in common purpose, five of the suspects and Tendai Notice, who is still at large, went to a Chinese restaurant in Belgravia driving a white Toyota Fortuner whose registration numbers were not captured. Guo was driving.
The complainant, Cheng Song was at the restaurant having lunch with his friend, Tu Muqing.
The suspects arrived at the restaurant and introduced themselves as police officers. They then claimed that Cheng was under arrest, but did not notify him of his offence.
The court heard that the suspects handcuffed Cheng and forced him into their Toyota Belta and drove away, leaving Tu Muqing behind.
The suspects took Cheng to House Number 1, Montenes Drive, Mandara, Harare, where Miga, Matondo, Kumba, Konselia and Tsikai were waiting for them
Tu Muqing then phoned and informed Cheng’s cousin, Wang Yanan, that Cheng had been arrested by some ‘police officers’.
Cheng sent his Google Maps location to Wang Yanan through a Chinese WeChat internet platform as he seek assistance from her.
Wang Yanan contacted Superintendent Victor Phiri of the Zimbabwe Republic Police and sought assistance to be escorted to the said police station.
It is alleged that Superintendent Phiri met with Wang Yanan and on checking the Google Maps location, he discovered that the place was in a bushy area adjacent to Chikurubi Maximum Prison, with no police stations close by.
At that moment, Wang Yanan received a phone call on her WeChat platform from Cheng. He who told her that he was being held hostage by the suspects and that they were prohibiting him from using ordinary voice calls or the WhatsApp platform.
Cheng further told her that the suspects were demanding a ransom of US$120 000, which was to be delivered to them to ensure his safe release.
It is alleged that after about 15 minutes, the suspects used Cheng’s cell phone to contact Wang Yanan. They ordered her to drive to their location.
Superintendent Phiri alerted CID Homicide Harare of the kidnapping and extortion. The officers swiftly reacted and waylaid the suspects at the given Google Maps location.
Charles Notice, Chirombe, Konselia and Tsikai arrived in a Toyota Fortuner, registration number AEN 4346, and ordered Wang Yanan to follow their vehicle as they drove off at high speed.
Police detectives followed the suspects’ vehicle and drove along Arcturus Road, Greendale, and identified themselves as police detectives, before ordering them to pull over.
It is the State’s case that the suspects increased the speed of their vehicle as they tried to evade arrest, thereby prompting police officers to fire warning shots.
However they continued driving at high speed.
This resulted in the police officers firing towards the vehicle, leading to the driver losing control and plunging into a ditch.
The suspects were then arrested.
The court heard that the suspects led the police to House Number 1, Montenes Drive in Mandara, where they found Cheng being guarded by some of the suspects.
Harare Magistrate Grants Bail to 11 Accused of Kidnapping and Extortion Plot
