Traffic cop swallows $10 note at roadblock

A female traffic cop police reportedly swallowed a $10 note at roadblock she was manning in Gweru in a bid to evade arrest by an anti-corruption team.

Apparently the money was given to her as a bribe .

According to Chronicle, the female officer was busted on Wednesday with six of her colleagues who were manning roadblocks at various points in Gweru by a team from the police anti-corruption unit.

The seven are accused of corruptly executing their duties.

They were allegedly found in possession of various amounts of money.
According to police regulations, officers should declare all their valuables including cash before they are deployed on duty.

The female police officer, who was part of a team manning a roadblock along the City-Bristol Road, was allegedly forced to throw up the $10 note that she had swallowed.

The arrest of the police officers triggered widespread panic among their colleagues in the Midlands capital as they sprung into hyper-action arresting a number of motorists who had their vehicles impounded for flouting road traffic regulations.

A source in the police told Chronicle: "On Wednesday, a team from the police anti-corruption team descended on Gweru and arrested seven police officers who were found with cash on them. The arrest of the police officers came with a price because police manning roadblocks within the vicinity of the city of Gweru have been impounding all cars found to be flouting road traffic regulations. Even those who committed offences that are often settled by the paying of a fine had their cars impounded."

The source said there was a public outcry as motorists expressed displeasure at the police action.
The seven traffic police officers suspects, the source said, were supposed to have appeared before a police disciplinary hearing by yesterday.

"They are failing to get a criminal charge which could be preferred on these police officers but they will be charged under the Police Act. The only police officer who has since been charged with a criminal offence is the one who tried to destroy the exhibit by swallowing the $10 which she had.

"A criminal docket against her has been opened because she even tried to flee from the roadblock along Bristol Road when the police anti-corruption team arrived at the scene," said the source.

Deputy Officer commanding police in the Midlands province, Assistant Commissioner Learn Ncube confirmed the arrests but declined to comment further on the incident.

Said Asst Comm Ncube: "We have an operation which is meant to weed out all vehicles without plates or those flouting other road traffic rules. We have had many robberies where suspects get away with unregistered vehicles. Those police officers whom you are referring to were arrested under the same operation. Talk to our Provincial spokesperson Inspector (Emmanuel) Mahoko he will give you all the information," he said.

Inspector Mahoko declined to comment referring this reporter to the national police spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi who could not be contacted for comment yesterday.