A HARARE woman who masqueraded as a soldier together with her four accomplices and teamed up to rob a local man of $21, 000 under the guise of the army’s Operation Restore Legacy, has been arrested.

Mildred Makoto was arrested last Friday and she appeared in court on Saturday answering to robbery charges.

She pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded in custody to Monday for her bail application.

Her three accomplices who have not been named are still on the run.

According to court papers, the complainant in this case is one Tawanda Zeze, 24, of Belvedere.

It is alleged that on January 23 this year, Makoto and her accomplices hatched a plan to rob Zeze.

Pursuant to their plan, they dressed themselves in Zimbabwe National Army regalia and proceeded to Zeze’s place of residence.

The court heard that upon arrival, they introduced themselves as soldiers before they told him that they intended to take him to their workplace.

Makoto and her accomplices told Zeze that they wanted to question him about his operations at More Than Conquerors Trust Organisation.

They, however, allegedly dragged him to his bedroom and forced him to open a safe which contained $21 000.

Court heard they took the money before they blindfolded Zeze and dragged him to their getaway vehicle which they had parked outside his house.

It is alleged they took his three mobile phones and requested his EcoCash personal identification number before they dumped him in Borrowdale.

Makoto was caught after she transferred over $500 to different Eco Cash accounts from Zeze’s accounts.

Upon arrest, the state alleges that she led the police to the recovery of the getaway vehicle which was parked at her house.

Peter Kachirika appeared for the state.