Traffic cops up extortion

By The NewsDay | Feb. 27, 2016 | 2 Min read

Two Zimbabwe Republic Police officers stationed at Marlborough Police Station appeared in court for demanding a bribe from a motorist and using a fake ticket book in Harare on Monday.

by Everson Mushava

The police officers, Sergeant Emmanuel Doesmatter Ziome and Constable Fungai Chikutsa, were arrested on February 19 and appeared at Harare Magistrate’s Court on February 22 where they were remanded out of custody on $50 bail each. They are expected back in court on March 15.

Ziome and Chikutsa also appeared before a police court on Wednesday, but their lawyer Norman Mugiya requested that the matter be deferred to March 8.

According to complainant Obadiah Dodo’s statement gleaned by NewsDay, he was on his way to Ruya Adventist School to look for a Form 5 place for his child when he was stopped at Marlborough Police Station by Ziome and told that he had picked up a passenger along Second Street.

He was ordered to pay a $20 fine.

Despite explaining that he never picked up a passenger and was rushing to secure a Form 5 place for his child, Ziome was adamant and detained Dodo from 9 am until 12 noon when Dodo opted to pay the fine in order to get to the school before close of business.

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He claimed that he was then directed to an office where Chikutsa threatened to impound his car if he failed to pay. He then paid $50, but was surprised when he was given $10 change instead of $30.

Dodo raised his objections and Chikutsa said the other $20 was to pay him for not impounding Dodo’s car. He proceeded with his journey and on his way back, hunted down Chikutsa where he later got to know that he was not on duty and had used a fake receipt book.

Chikutsa returned the $20 he had taken and Dodo proceeded to report the matter at the Police General Headquarters help desk, leading to the two’s arrest on the same day.

Mugiya, however, said his clients are denying the charges.