By Tendayi Madhomu
Bulawayo’s Criminal Intelligence Department (CID) fraud squad boss’ extortion trial was postponed after the defence lawyer said he had not been served with state papers.
George Machinga, the officer in charge at CID Fraud Section, is facing charges of extortion after he demanded $550 from a man who had been arrested for fraud.
Machinga, who briefly appeared before Magistrate Gladmore Mushove at the Bulawayo Magistrates’ Courts, is represented by Mlamuli Ncube. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The trial was postponed to July 21 2014.
It is the state’s case that on June 19 2014, Machinga advised Pardon Dube, a trustee and mediator of Khayalami Heritage Community Development Trust, to pay $550 so he could clear him of the fraud charges he was facing.
He allegedly told him that $300 was for ‘buying his freedom’ and the remaining $250 was to refund Cordelia Bachisi, a client who Dube allegedly had shady deals with in the past.
The lawman is said to have taken Dube’s identification card as surety for his return.
On June 20 2014, Dube sourced $300 but had second thoughts as he felt Machinga had acted unlawfully.
He reported the matter at ZRP provincial headquarters where a plan to trap the officer in charge was hatched.
Notes amounting to $300 were reportedly photocopied by a Chief Superintendent Nsingo and handed over to Dube.
On the same day, Dube arranged to hand the money to Machinga at a city building housing the police Fraud Squad.
As he left, Dube alerted Nsingo and his team who rushed to the accused’s office and conducted a search.
The money was recovered in the same denominations that had been photocopied, leading to Machinga’s arrest. Zimbabwe Mail