A SENIOR police officer based at Police General Headquarters (PGHQ) in Harare, yesterday appeared in court on criminal abuse of office charges after he allegedly solicited for bribe money from a subordinate seeking to be deployed to the traffic section.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Inspector Takawira Sagireta, who is the officer-in-charge (board) at PGHQ, was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate Josephine Sande, who granted him $100 bail and remanded the matter to September 1 to facilitate further investigations.
Sagireta’s duties include convening a board of inquiry, suitability, desertion, general and trial for wayward police officers.
Allegations are that sometime in September last year, Sagireta approached Sergeant Sibongile Nyadundu, who is currently stationed at Mashonaland East ICT system administration, and advised her that he had the capacity to facilitate her transfer her to the Zimbabwe Republic Police national traffic section.
Sagireta allegedly demanded a bribe of $125 from Nyadundu for the promised favour.
On September 28 last year, Nyadundu’s husband, Tapiwa Munamato, who is a member of Zimbabwe National Army, made a mobile money transfer of $75 into Sagireta’s CABS Bank account. The following day, Munamato allegedly made another transfer of $50 into Sagireta’s mobile wallet to bring the total to $125.
The State alleges Sagireta failed to facilitate Nyadundu’s transfer as promised, leading her husband to file a report at the Zimbabwe Ant-Corruption Commission (Zacc) in May this year.
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On June 2, Zacc referred the matter to PGHQ for further investigations and later referred it to the Criminal Investigation Department’s Commercial Crimes Division, leading to Sagireta’s arrest.
Sebastian Mutizirwa is prosecuting for the case.
