Registrar general’s office under fire for aiding armed robbers

The Registrar General’s office has come under fire after being sucked into the case of Zimbabwe’s most wanted armed robber Musa Taj Abdul (46) and his gang. It is alleged that two members of Abdul’s gang of armed robbers had fake national identity cards.This follows speculation that Abdul and his gang were being protected by the police.

Abdul was arrested on Monday night in Beitbridge together with a fired former Masvingo Central police officer Rudolf Kanhanga alias Tapiwa Munatsi (29), Liberty Mupamhanga (29), Prince Makodza (31), Godfrey Mupamhanga (27), Charles Lundu (47) and Innocent Jairos (32).Investigations carried out so far by the police have revealed that Charles Lundu and Prince Makodza had fake identification cards bearing the names Enock Rimuwa and Paddington Matira respectively. It is still not known how the two suspects acquired those IDs.

The CID Homicide has since engaged the Registrar-General’s Office to assist with investigations on the acquisition of the fake IDs.It is believed that Lundu and Makodza acquired the IDs in order to evade police arrests since they were on the most-wanted lists.Police have launched a manhunt for the four others who escaped during the raid on Monday night.On Wednesday, an application was made to the Harare Magistrates Court for a warrant to hold the armed robbers a little longer for questioning at Harare Central Police Station.His accomplices have warrants outstanding from 2018 and 2019.Police have been chasing Taj Abdul for close to two decades, but his run came to an abrupt end on Monday when he was nabbed together with his accomplices.

Recently, the armed robbers led police for indications of the various places where they committed some of their criminal activities in Harare. Residents breathed a sigh of relief when the gang that had been terrorising them was eventually arrested. The crew of robbers was involved in spate of robberies all over the country