By Nyore Madzianike
HARARE – A Puzey & Payne employee was fined for shielding, in his car, three sex workers who were wanted by police for loitering.
Darlington Dzapasi was fined US$50 when he appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court charged with obstruction of the course of justice. He also risks being jailed for 10 days if he fails to pay the fine.
In addition magistrate Nomsa Sabarauta also slapped him with a wholly suspended one month jail term on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years.
State councel, Sabastian Mutizirwa, put forward that on August 4 at around 0250hrs, Gibson Lunga, a police officer, who was in the company of three other cops were patrolling in the Avenues area.
The four cops later came across three ladies who were loitering for the purposes of prostitution at the corner of Chinhoyi Street and Kwame Nkrumah Avenue in the city centre.
The three suspected hookers then ran into Dzapasi’s car and locked the doors whilst the car owner was standing outside.
Prosecutor Mutizirwa said that Dzapasi refused to open the doors for the police who wanted to arrest the suspected hookers.
Dzapasi argued that the three were his sisters and could not allow the police to arrest them for loitering.
The police details were forced to arrest Dzapasi for obstruction of justice leaving the three ladies scot free as they remained in the car. H Metro
