Crimes and Courts
In a shocking turn of events, seven members of the Special Air Service (SAS) have had their sentenced of a combined 220 years in prison upheld for their involvement in a robbery at Chidamoyo Hospital in Karoi.
The convicts, identified as Chadmore Chakaingesu, Trust Hapanyengwi, Ruka Biton, Mighty Nyoni, Mitewell Moyo, Ishmael Zibula, and Spencer Chigondo, claim they were acting under orders from their superiors as part of a counterintelligence strategy against terrorism.
During their appeal, the seven men argued that Major Fortune Murondatsimba, their unit’s second-in-command, had directed them to carry out the robbery.
However, the Supreme Court judges, Chinembiri Bhunu, George Chiweshe, and Joseph Musakwa, dismissed their claims, stating,
“The evidence available shows that the appellants committed the offence and the defence of obedience to superior orders could not be sustained.”
The incident occurred on July 5, 2020, when the group, armed with AK-47 rifles and other weapons, raided the hospital around 4 a.m. They made off with a safe and various goods, later abandoning their getaway vehicle near Kanyongo River. A subsequent police search recovered significant amounts of cash, fuel coupons, and the stolen firearms.
Lieutenant Colonel Taringana Casper Nyagura, the commanding officer of SAS, testified during the trial that he was unaware of the operation, emphasizing that he personally briefs unit members about any authorized missions. He stated,
“At unit level, I directly brief unit members if there is an operation that is to be conducted,” contradicting the convicts’ claims of following legitimate orders.
The general Court Martial found that the soldiers’ defense was unsupported by evidence, ruling that the orders they claimed to have received were unlawful. The Court highlighted that targeting a health institution is unreasonable and violates international humanitarian law.
In their appeal, the convicts argued that the sentence was excessively harsh and did not take into account the involvement of various soldiers. They stated,
“The sentence imposed was out of the ordinary and too harsh to induce a sense of shock upon delivering sentence.”
However, the Supreme Court judges firmly rejected this argument, concluding that the appellants had acted with the intention to commit robbery while armed.
Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled that the appeal lacked merit, affirming the convictions and sentences imposed by the general Court Martial.
“Accordingly, it is ordered that the appeal be and is hereby dismissed in its entirety,” the Judges declared, bringing a significant chapter in this controversial case to a close.
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