News / Local
'Prophet' arrested
16 Oct 2015 at 07:11hrs | Views
A BOGUS prophet who impersonated a Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officer and demanded a $500 bribe from a woman selling illegal skin lightening creams, has appeared in court.
Oscar Phiri, 21, and one Joe Smart who is at large, identified themselves as detectives from CABS Building to Sinikiwe Ndlovu.
Phiri appeared before magistrate Themba Chimiso on Wednesday charged with impersonating a police officer.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge and told the court he was praying at a mountain when the incident occurred.
Ndlovu told the court Phiri and Smart came to her house with Judith Mabugu who is her customer, 20 minutes after she had sold her creams worth $5.
"I sold Mabugu some creams and she came back 20 minutes later with two men who produced police identity cards. They searched my house and recovered the creams. Phiri told me that if I don't pay a $500 fine I might spend the rest of my life in prison," said Ndlovu.
"I gave them $280 fearing I would be taken to CABS Building. Phiri told me that if I did not give them money they could frame me by planting a bag of marijuana among my creams so that I spend the rest of my life in jail."
Mabugu told the court that she had been sent by Phiri's wife to buy the creams.
"I know Phiri as a prophet. I had gone to him to spiritually assist me in catching a thief who had stolen my money.
"He called his friend Joe Smart who was introduced to me as an intelligence officer who was to help me recover my money," said Mabugu.
She said on her way from Ndlovu's house, she met Phiri and Smart who threatened to arrest her if she did not show them where she bought the creams.
Prosecuting Tony Kamudyariwa said on September 19, Ndlovu sold Mabugu skin lightening creams for $5 at her home.
"Mabugu was arrested by Joe Smart on her way home for possession of skin lightening creams," said Kamudyariwa.
"Phiri and his accomplice recovered four tubes of Carolite, three tubes of Lemonvate and six tubes of Betastol with a street value of $40. Ndlovu paid them $280 to buy her freedom instead of the $500 they had demanded."
Denying the charge, Phiri said: "I didn't impersonate a police officer on September 19 because after I was consulted by Mabugu with her problem, I went to pray in the mountain," he said.
Oscar Phiri, 21, and one Joe Smart who is at large, identified themselves as detectives from CABS Building to Sinikiwe Ndlovu.
Phiri appeared before magistrate Themba Chimiso on Wednesday charged with impersonating a police officer.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge and told the court he was praying at a mountain when the incident occurred.
Ndlovu told the court Phiri and Smart came to her house with Judith Mabugu who is her customer, 20 minutes after she had sold her creams worth $5.
"I sold Mabugu some creams and she came back 20 minutes later with two men who produced police identity cards. They searched my house and recovered the creams. Phiri told me that if I don't pay a $500 fine I might spend the rest of my life in prison," said Ndlovu.
"I gave them $280 fearing I would be taken to CABS Building. Phiri told me that if I did not give them money they could frame me by planting a bag of marijuana among my creams so that I spend the rest of my life in jail."
Mabugu told the court that she had been sent by Phiri's wife to buy the creams.
"He called his friend Joe Smart who was introduced to me as an intelligence officer who was to help me recover my money," said Mabugu.
She said on her way from Ndlovu's house, she met Phiri and Smart who threatened to arrest her if she did not show them where she bought the creams.
Prosecuting Tony Kamudyariwa said on September 19, Ndlovu sold Mabugu skin lightening creams for $5 at her home.
"Mabugu was arrested by Joe Smart on her way home for possession of skin lightening creams," said Kamudyariwa.
"Phiri and his accomplice recovered four tubes of Carolite, three tubes of Lemonvate and six tubes of Betastol with a street value of $40. Ndlovu paid them $280 to buy her freedom instead of the $500 they had demanded."
Denying the charge, Phiri said: "I didn't impersonate a police officer on September 19 because after I was consulted by Mabugu with her problem, I went to pray in the mountain," he said.
Source - chronicle
