Cops ‘steal’ $5 from motorist
By Tanaka Mrewa
Two cops from Nyamandlovu have been arrested for allegedly stealing $5 from a motorist at a roadblock.
Shelton Chitakura (25) and Kudakwashe Chimombe (33) were not asked to plead to a criminal abuse of duty by a public officer charge when they appeared before Bulawayo provincial magistrate Tinashe Tashaya.
Their trial continues on Friday.
State allegations are that Chitakura and Chimombe charged Edmore Mashiri $10 for mixing goods and passengers.
Prosecuting, Nkathazo Dlodlo told the court that on March 10, the pair was manning a roadblock at the 38km peg along Bulawayo-Nyamandlovu road.
“Complainant had groceries in his car. Accused persons charged him $10 for mixing the groceries with passengers.
Complainant gave Chitakura $10 and he only endorsed it on a customer’s copy. He asked him to sign the customer copy before he drove away,” said Dlodlo.
He added: “Accused persons endorsed $5 on the remaining original copy, triplicate and fast copies before they forged his signature.
“They converted the outstanding $5 to their own use. Complainant realised along the way that the copy he had been given was not a carbon copy and became suspicious.”
Dlodlo said Mashiri approached the Zimbabwe Republic Police complaints desk and investigations were carried out leading to the pair’s arrest. B Metro
