News / National
19 MDC-T activists arrested for impersonating Govt officials
25 Apr 2013 at 20:18hrs | Views
AT least 19 MDC-T activists were arrested on Thursday for impersonating Government officials as they moved door-to-door in Hatcliffe, Harare, ordering residents to register with them as voters.
Police said the 10 women and nine men were wearing T-shirts suggesting that they were from the Home Affairs Ministry and were found in possession of a voters' roll on which they entered people's particulars.
This comes hard on the heels of the unearthing of a massive scam in which suspected MDC-T supporters were using other people's addresses and abandoned buildings as addresses to register as voters in Marondera last week. The 19 activists in Hatcliffe were allegedly coercing unregistered residents in the suburb to register.
Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the arrest of the MDC-T activists.
She said while at Borrowdale Police Station where the activists were taken, an MDC-T Cabinet minister called and demanded that the Officer-in-Charge release the suspects.
Asst Comm Charamba said the Cabinet minister, whom she could not name, issued several threats to the Officer-in-Charge upon noticing that he would not budge to the demands.
"The minister called the Officer-in-Charge breathing fire and gave him several threats if he was not going to release the suspects," she said.
"This is unprocedural and tantamount to obstructing the course of justice. The conduct to threaten police officers when they are executing their duty is certainly unacceptable."
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said the MDC-T activists were telling residents that they worked for Government.
"Nine men and 10 women were arrested for impersonating public officials in Hatcliffe yesterday afternoon," she said.
"They were clad in T-shirts and caps inscribed 'The Ministry of Home Affairs'. They were going door to door asking residents if they had registered to vote before ordering those who have not to register.
"They purported to be Ministry of Home Affairs officials and were found in possession of a voters' roll."
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said police received information about the activities of the 19 and arrested them before detaining them at Borrowdale Police Station.
Police said the 10 women and nine men were wearing T-shirts suggesting that they were from the Home Affairs Ministry and were found in possession of a voters' roll on which they entered people's particulars.
This comes hard on the heels of the unearthing of a massive scam in which suspected MDC-T supporters were using other people's addresses and abandoned buildings as addresses to register as voters in Marondera last week. The 19 activists in Hatcliffe were allegedly coercing unregistered residents in the suburb to register.
Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the arrest of the MDC-T activists.
She said while at Borrowdale Police Station where the activists were taken, an MDC-T Cabinet minister called and demanded that the Officer-in-Charge release the suspects.
Asst Comm Charamba said the Cabinet minister, whom she could not name, issued several threats to the Officer-in-Charge upon noticing that he would not budge to the demands.
"This is unprocedural and tantamount to obstructing the course of justice. The conduct to threaten police officers when they are executing their duty is certainly unacceptable."
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said the MDC-T activists were telling residents that they worked for Government.
"Nine men and 10 women were arrested for impersonating public officials in Hatcliffe yesterday afternoon," she said.
"They were clad in T-shirts and caps inscribed 'The Ministry of Home Affairs'. They were going door to door asking residents if they had registered to vote before ordering those who have not to register.
"They purported to be Ministry of Home Affairs officials and were found in possession of a voters' roll."
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said police received information about the activities of the 19 and arrested them before detaining them at Borrowdale Police Station.
Source - TH
