By Mary Taruvinga
HARARE: A notorious sex worker based in the Avenues area has been slapped with 13 years’ imprisonment after being convicted for robbing a foreigner at gunpoint.
Gaillah Muroyi, 26, who has several pending similar cases before the courts, was jailed last Friday by Harare magistrate Themba Kuwanda.
The court set aside three years of the sentence on conditions.
Muroyi was well known for terrorising clients and blackmailing them by threatening to expose their illicit trysts to their families and the press.
Accomplices Chipo Nyamande, 23, Moleen Maodzwa, 25, and Chipo Dube, 23 were earlier this year jailed for seven years each over the same offences.
Muroyi, who went on the run after robbing Malawi national Wongani Mawola Banda, was eventually nabbed by international police while hiding in South Africa.
Prosecutor Ephraim Zinyandu proved that on October 7 last year, the sex worker and her colleagues committed first degree assault, first degree robbery and first-degree identity theft.
The other accomplices – Yeukai Tsandukwa, Nyasha Kaseke and two male suspects Mike Mupururu and John Dzapasi – are still on trial.
Court heard that the gang armed themselves with a pistol after which two of the accused approached Banda who was parked at OK Fife Avenue in a silver Toyota RunX.
A male suspect knocked on Banda’s car and pulled up his shirt to show the latter a pistol after he opened the vehicle’s door.
Targeting foreigners
One of the accused promptly entered Banda’s car and sat in the back while his counterpart jumped into the front passenger seat.
Banda was ordered to drive along Sixth Street due south and turn left into Selous Avenue before they stopped near Seventh Street.
The complainant was pulled to the back, blindfolded and forced out of the vehicle.
He was dragged into a room with five women and ordered to strip naked but resisted.
Kaseke and the other sex workers forcibly stripped Banda before searching his clothes for cash, cell phones and bank debit cards.
The women told Banda that they were recovering money from foreigners and since he is a Malawian national, they would start with him.
One of the women removed her clothes and started posing with Banda whilst her accomplices took photographs.
Spending spree
Kaseke and her gang went on a shopping spree using Banda’s debit cards and EcoCash account on his cell phone.
Court heard that they stopped at OK Mart Chiremba Road and bought cigarettes for $532, energy drinks valued $37, babywear and lotion for $443 and an assortment of tablets for $431 using Banda’s Ecobank debit card.
The women then hired one Savious Mawere to take them to a traditional healer in Norton and refuelled his Mercedes Benz vehicle for $70 using Banda’s debit card.
When they returned to the Harare flat, Banda was still lying naked on the floor.
They gave him back his property, blindfolded him and drove to another area in the Avenues where they dumped him in his car before vanishing into the darkness.
Police investigations and Close Circuit Television (CCTV) footage later showed the accused making purchases at service stations and shop till points.
Banda lost $1,667 and nothing was recovered.
