KWEKWE – A police constable operating the Kwekwe police main camp grinding mill was convicted after he pleaded guilty to stealing $10 from the daily takings. Report by Blessed Mhlanga Staff Reporter
Tinashe Mpofu (26) was fined $100 or 30 days in prison when he pleaded guilty before provincial magistrate Taurai Manuwere last week.
The court heard that on October 19, Mpofu was given 6x20kg bags of maize to process into mealie- meal by another police officer only identified as Chivandire.
He was then paid $12, but instead wrote out receipt 421610 for $2 and stole the rest. Asked by the court to explain what kind of training he received as a police officer that would make him so untrustworthy as to steal $10, Mpofu claimed he was only attested as a member of the police force in October. He said he didn’t receive any formal training.
“I was employed as a general hand operating a grinding mill, but last month I was attested as a constable into the police force, but continued to work at the grinding mill. I have not yet received any formal training,” said Mpofu.
On Tuesday, a former police officer Tafadzwa Gambiza was arrested after he allegedly attempted to leak documents from the office of the Officer Commanding Kwekwe District which contained names of all support staff at the police station who were incorporated into the police force assuming the ranks of constable and assistant inspector without any formal training.
Gambiza was set free on Wednesday after Manuwere refused to remand him when the police failed to produce an sms he allegedly sent to Constable Amos Madzongwe asking him to steal the nominal roll which contains the information.
