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Women allege police corruption

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THREE Harare women who were last week arrested for soliciting for the purposes of prostitution have raised allegations of corruption in the police force

THREE Harare women who were last week arrested for soliciting for the purposes of prostitution have raised allegations of corruption in the police force after their admission of guilty fines were allegedly under-receipted.

Report by Eshmael Mlambo

The three — Primrose Chasara, Bridget Nhau and Anesu Chiguvare — who were part of several others arrested in Harare last week and taken into police custody, have since written to the Rotten Row Magistrates’ Court seeking cancellation of their admission of guilty fines.

In a letter copied to the Officer in Charge Harare Central Police Station, Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri and Attorney-General Johannes Tomana, the three, through their lawyer Trust Sengwayo of Tsara and Associates, allege that they were forced to admit the offence.

“Our clients were induced to pay the fines failing which they would not be released from police custody. As such, the admissions of guilt were not freely and voluntarily made, but were made under threat of continued detention,” read the letter in part.

The three made claims of police corruption saying that they were made to pay amounts ranging from $25 to $30 yet only $10 was recorded as having been paid. “The sums of $15 to $20 were therefore stolen from each client by the issuing details,” the letter read.

“. . . we hereby request that all admissions of guilt signed by women arrested for soliciting for the purpose of prostitution on 8 June 2013, be held in abeyance and not confirmed while we continue with taking instructions from hundreds of women involved,” wrote Sengwayo in the letter.

Sengwayo said the police behaviour was contrary to basic human rights of personal liberty, personal dignity, freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, among others.