Fugitive cop linked to $31 000 theft arrested

CLEVER Gadzikwa, a fugitive police detective based at CID Southerton Property Section who allegedly stole $31 000 from a Zambian national booked at a Harare hotel early this month, was arrested and brought to court yesterday.

Harare magistrate Barbara Chimboza remanded him in custody to today for bail ruling.

Gadzikwa is jointly charged with Evidence Hanya and Walter Ziuchi, who were arrested last week and were also remanded in custody.

It is the State's case that on April 2 this year, Gadzikwa together with Hanya and Ziuchi stormed the complainant Voster Hampako's room at N1 Hotel and robbed him of $1 000 and 400 Zambian kwacha.

Gadzikwa then recorded $770 in his police notebook and forced Hampako to sign purporting to be the only money they took from him.

The State further alleges that the two asked him to declare any other property he had and Hampako told them that he had $30 000 in his vehicle which was parked at the hotel car park.

The suspects allegedly force-marched Hampako out of the hotel and led him to the Mineral Border Control Unit (MBCU)Harare offices in his Zambian-registered vehicle. The trio allegedly ordered Hampako to take out the cash and hand it over to them.

The trio allegedly threatened to cause Hampako's arrest for money-laundering and forced him to sign a fake warned-and-cautioned statement, before giving him back his 400 Zambian kwacha. They allegedly later released him and ordered him to immediately drive back to Zambia or risk being arrested again.

Five days later, Hampako made a complaint at Police General Headquarters. When the trio got wind that a complaint had been made against them, they allegedly opened an enquiry reference at MBCU Harare without involving the officer- in-charge, leading to their arrest.

Sebastian Mutizirwa represented the State.