SUSPECTED serial robber Norman Karimanzira, who is facing two counts of armed robbery at the High Court, on Friday claimed to have lawfully acquired two motor vehicles he is alleged to have hijacked in Zimbabwe.
Karimanzira is being charged together with Collen Chigarasango, Daniel Chirikure and two brothers Elisha and Valentine Manhanga.
However, Chirikure was acquitted at the end of the State case. The State counsel Mr Steven Musona conceded that Chirikure had no case to answer, as the evidence led failed to link him to the two charges.
Karimanzira who is being represented by Advocate, Chris Anderson, told High Court judge, Justice Adam that he had bought a Land-Rover Discovery motor vehicle at a market in Maputo, Mozambique.
Defence
In his defence, he claimed that the motor vehicle in question had relevant documents including a police clearance certificate and customs permit.
The court heard that last year in December Mr Aldo Cessano was driving his Land Rover Discovery car when four men armed with a pistol and an AK47 rifle robbed him of the vehicle.
The same car crossed into Mozambique with Chigarasango driving.
He had assumed a false name, Ephraim Allen. Elisha accompanied him.
When they arrived in Mozambique at Karimanzira's house they changed the registration of the car to reflect a fake Mozambican registration.
On January 15 last year, a Harare man Mr Timothy Chiganze driving a Mercedes Benz S320 was blocked by a black BMW whose occupants pointed guns at him and ordered him out.
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Karimanzira told the court that he had bought the Land Rover for R40 000 from a Mr Edrico Mafoko.
Earlier, during the trial his ex-wife Sodonia Maria Guambe, a teacher in Mozambique, told the court that she met the alleged notorious robber Karimanzira between 1997 and 1998. He was operating a transport business in Xai Xai and Beira.
Guambe said Karimanzira who she used to stay with would come home with various luxury motor vehicles.
Testified
She testified that sometime in January last year Elisha and Valentine brought two vehicles a Mercedes-Benz and a Land Rover Discovery and both cars were left with Karimanzira.
But Karimanzira denied in his defence that the two cars were brought to him as described by his ex-wife.
As for the Mercedes-Benz he claimed to have bought it from a Zimbabwean to whom he was introduced at the same market where he had bought the Land Rover Discovery by Edrico.
Karimanzira said he had bought the two cars in order to re-sell them.
He denied that Guambe was his former wife saying that his relationship with her was that of a prostitute and client.
He also denied that the two stayed as a couple but said he rented her house.
