Mystery over fate of police officer who took money from MDC-T

Mystery surrounds the fate of a Bulawayo senior police officer who took $5 000 money from the Morgan Tsvangirai led MDC-T for police duties during the party's congress held in the city last April.

Chief superintendent Mbeko Kunene was arrested and appeared in court late last December after his superiors spent about 8 months trying to find an appropriate way of dealing with the case.

Kunene is being charged with contravening the Police Act for disobeying the officer commanding Bulawayo province, senior assistant commissioner Steven Mutamba who had ordered him not to accept the money from MDC-T.

Police are usually paid for covering private functions like rallies and soccer matches that are outside their daily policing duties.

Kunene appeared in court on December 20 last year and was remanded early January but the case which was initially conducted in public has been restricted to behind closed doors.

However, sources close to the case said the court case was just justification for the bosses to find ground in firing Kunene from the force. Kunene who is past his fifties, the retirement age in the force has a contract that is renewed every year like any other senior officers.

"The delays in prosecuting Kunene from April to December shows that the timing is aimed at the renewal of contracts for the police. His contract wont be renewed because part of the requirements is that he does not appear in court or is not arrested or appear in court for any criminal activity," said a senior police officer.

"The technicality that they want to use against Kunene is the same as that used against Assistant Commissioner Todd Jangara in 2010 when he appeared in court facing domestic violence charges after bashing his common law wife, Zvikomborero Paunganwa with a baton stick."

Jangara died late 2010.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Mandlenkosi declined to comment on the matter saying, "it's an internal issue."