News / National
Cop jailed for defending killer driver
29 Mar 2019 at 11:07hrs | Views
A Zimbabwe Republic Police accident evaluator Shackmore Chitate has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment after taking a bribe from a negligent driver who was accused of culpable homicide.
Police papers seen by this publication reveal that the accused person Shackmore Chitate attended an accident scene on 7 December 2016 and produced a report to the effect that the driver of a vehicle involved Reward Katomha was negligent leading to him being charged for culpable homicide.
The case took a new twist on 18 August 2017 when Chitate appeared as a state witness during the trial. The papers say Chitate defended Katomha and said the driver was not negligent and therefore not guilty of culpable homicide.
Katomha was subsequently discharged.
On 8 October 2018 an informant Joyce Ngwenya reported the bribery deal to the police which led to the arrest of Chitate.
After a meticulous investigation, Bulawayo Magistrate Gladmore Mushowe found Chitate guilty of defeating or obstructing the course of justice as enshrined in Section 184 (1) (c) of the Criminal Law Reform and Codification Act.
He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment of which 3 were suspended for 5 years on condition of good behaviour leaving him to serve an effective 9 months.
Police papers seen by this publication reveal that the accused person Shackmore Chitate attended an accident scene on 7 December 2016 and produced a report to the effect that the driver of a vehicle involved Reward Katomha was negligent leading to him being charged for culpable homicide.
The case took a new twist on 18 August 2017 when Chitate appeared as a state witness during the trial. The papers say Chitate defended Katomha and said the driver was not negligent and therefore not guilty of culpable homicide.
Katomha was subsequently discharged.
On 8 October 2018 an informant Joyce Ngwenya reported the bribery deal to the police which led to the arrest of Chitate.
After a meticulous investigation, Bulawayo Magistrate Gladmore Mushowe found Chitate guilty of defeating or obstructing the course of justice as enshrined in Section 184 (1) (c) of the Criminal Law Reform and Codification Act.
He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment of which 3 were suspended for 5 years on condition of good behaviour leaving him to serve an effective 9 months.
Source - Byo24News
