News / Local
'CIO agents' to perform community service
24 Sep 2015 at 07:46hrs | Views
TWO bogus state security officials who extorted $2,000 from a Bulawayo man after threatening to abduct him for allegedly ill-treating his workers, have been ordered to perform community service.
Alista Ndlovu, 50, of Emakhandeni and Douglas Mhlope, 58, of Hillside suburb were convicted of charges of extortion by Bulawayo magistrate Tinashe Tashaya.
They were both sentenced on Tuesday to one year in jail of which three months were suspended for three years on condition that they do not within that period commit a similar crime.
The remaining nine months were further suspended on condition that they perform 315 hours of community service at Emakhandeni and Henry Low Primary Schools starting tomorrow.
Ndlovu and Mhlophe claimed that they misrepresented as CIO agents after the victim, Andrew Cowell had refused to give them $2,000 for funeral expenses, which he allegedly owed them.
Magistrate Tashaya said extortion was a serious crime which called for a custodial sentence. He however, said the two men were saved by their old ages.
"Extortion is a serious crime especially when other people's offices are brought into disrepute, the President's Office in this case. Ndlovu and Mhlophe should be punished severely so that they don't commit a similar crime in future. Jail is the most appropriate sentence but because of your old ages you'll be commuted to perform community service," ruled Tashaya.
Prosecuting, Nkathazo Dlodlo said on July 20 this year, Ndlovu went to Cowell demanding $350 to cover his son's funeral expenses and burial in Kezi.
Cowell gave him the money.
Ndlovu and Mhlophe later hatched another plan to extort more money.
On July 23, Mhlophe called Cowell using Ndlovu's mobile phone and introduced himself as a senior officer from the President's Office.
He said he was aware that Cowell was ill-treating his workers.
The following day, Cowell told Ndlovu that he had been interrogated, detained and beaten by Mhlophe and his colleagues from the CIO. It was then that Ndlovu requested a further $300 from Cowell who gave him the money.
"On July 25, Mhlophe sent a message to Cowell confirming receipt of the money, but demanded a balance of $1,900. On August 27, Mhlophe wrote to Cowell claiming that Ndlovu had been arrested and detained in Plumtree and, therefore, urgently required a $500 fine," said Dlodlo.
The court heard that on September 4, Cowell made a police report and a trap was set.
On September 18 Ndlovu was arrested as he collected the money from Cowell's house. He implicated Mhlophe leading to his arrest.
Alista Ndlovu, 50, of Emakhandeni and Douglas Mhlope, 58, of Hillside suburb were convicted of charges of extortion by Bulawayo magistrate Tinashe Tashaya.
They were both sentenced on Tuesday to one year in jail of which three months were suspended for three years on condition that they do not within that period commit a similar crime.
The remaining nine months were further suspended on condition that they perform 315 hours of community service at Emakhandeni and Henry Low Primary Schools starting tomorrow.
Ndlovu and Mhlophe claimed that they misrepresented as CIO agents after the victim, Andrew Cowell had refused to give them $2,000 for funeral expenses, which he allegedly owed them.
Magistrate Tashaya said extortion was a serious crime which called for a custodial sentence. He however, said the two men were saved by their old ages.
"Extortion is a serious crime especially when other people's offices are brought into disrepute, the President's Office in this case. Ndlovu and Mhlophe should be punished severely so that they don't commit a similar crime in future. Jail is the most appropriate sentence but because of your old ages you'll be commuted to perform community service," ruled Tashaya.
Prosecuting, Nkathazo Dlodlo said on July 20 this year, Ndlovu went to Cowell demanding $350 to cover his son's funeral expenses and burial in Kezi.
Ndlovu and Mhlophe later hatched another plan to extort more money.
On July 23, Mhlophe called Cowell using Ndlovu's mobile phone and introduced himself as a senior officer from the President's Office.
He said he was aware that Cowell was ill-treating his workers.
The following day, Cowell told Ndlovu that he had been interrogated, detained and beaten by Mhlophe and his colleagues from the CIO. It was then that Ndlovu requested a further $300 from Cowell who gave him the money.
"On July 25, Mhlophe sent a message to Cowell confirming receipt of the money, but demanded a balance of $1,900. On August 27, Mhlophe wrote to Cowell claiming that Ndlovu had been arrested and detained in Plumtree and, therefore, urgently required a $500 fine," said Dlodlo.
The court heard that on September 4, Cowell made a police report and a trap was set.
On September 18 Ndlovu was arrested as he collected the money from Cowell's house. He implicated Mhlophe leading to his arrest.
Source - chronicle
