News / National
11 Cops nabbed for demanding bribes
11 Feb 2014 at 06:37hrs | Views
Zimbabwe Republic Police officers were arrested for soliciting a bribe from a long distance bus crew at Entumbane Bus Terminus last week on Wednesday.
The cops were arrested by plain clothes officers suspected to be from the anti-corruption unit.
A witness narrated that about 10 plain clothes officers boarded the bus and paid for the trip like other passengers.
As the bus was leaving, the conductor then went to the uniformed cops outside and handed them a bribe they had seemingly been waiting for and the plain clothes officers immediately pounced on their rogue colleagues, arrested them and called in some officers to book them in.
The plain clothes officers continued the journey on the bus and arrested some cops at a roadblock along the Victoria Falls Road just near the Nyamandlovu turnoff using the same modus operandi.
A bus driver at the Entumbane Complex terminus Themba Ndlovu expressed relief at the deployment of anti-corruption officers saying it would see them conducting their jobs without having to set aside money for paying for a "pass" at every roadblock.
Ndlovu said each bus has to pay $10 at every police checkpoint for it to proceed with its journey despite it being roadworthy.
He said this translated to about $200 from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls as they normally encountered about 20 check points, which was outrageous.
"But there has been a reduction in roadblocks since last Wednesday when those plain clothes officers arrested their colleagues at roadblocks on the Victoria Falls route," Ndlovu said.
Bus Operators' Association chairperson Patrick Dube said they had held meetings with senior police officers where it was agreed that bus crews should refuse to pay bribes to traffic cops.
"I am happy that the police now seem committed to solving this problem by these unscrupulous officers.
"It is not only the traffic police at fault as I believe that bus operators initiated this corrupt act by offering bribes and it just became a way of doing things," he said.
"Bus operators in competition give the police money willingly so that the traffic police manning a particular roadblock can impound a competitor's bus while they gain mileage and get more customers along the way.You may try to outsmart your competitor while creating a long term problem."
Last week, a policewoman manning a roadblock in Gweru allegedly attempted to swallow a $10 note after the anti-corruption officers swooped on her and her colleagues who were also arrested. Last month, Assistant Commissioner Gideon Baloyi was jailed for an effective nine months in prison by a Harare magistrate for indiscipline under the Police Act.
This came after 33 traffic officers from Avondale Police Station in Harare were transferred to other bases allegedly because of "intolerable corruption levels" in January.
The officer-in-charge was also transferred. The rot at the police station came to light when one of the accused policemen solicited a $50 bribe from a motorist.
The cops were arrested by plain clothes officers suspected to be from the anti-corruption unit.
A witness narrated that about 10 plain clothes officers boarded the bus and paid for the trip like other passengers.
As the bus was leaving, the conductor then went to the uniformed cops outside and handed them a bribe they had seemingly been waiting for and the plain clothes officers immediately pounced on their rogue colleagues, arrested them and called in some officers to book them in.
The plain clothes officers continued the journey on the bus and arrested some cops at a roadblock along the Victoria Falls Road just near the Nyamandlovu turnoff using the same modus operandi.
A bus driver at the Entumbane Complex terminus Themba Ndlovu expressed relief at the deployment of anti-corruption officers saying it would see them conducting their jobs without having to set aside money for paying for a "pass" at every roadblock.
Ndlovu said each bus has to pay $10 at every police checkpoint for it to proceed with its journey despite it being roadworthy.
He said this translated to about $200 from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls as they normally encountered about 20 check points, which was outrageous.
"But there has been a reduction in roadblocks since last Wednesday when those plain clothes officers arrested their colleagues at roadblocks on the Victoria Falls route," Ndlovu said.
Bus Operators' Association chairperson Patrick Dube said they had held meetings with senior police officers where it was agreed that bus crews should refuse to pay bribes to traffic cops.
"I am happy that the police now seem committed to solving this problem by these unscrupulous officers.
"It is not only the traffic police at fault as I believe that bus operators initiated this corrupt act by offering bribes and it just became a way of doing things," he said.
"Bus operators in competition give the police money willingly so that the traffic police manning a particular roadblock can impound a competitor's bus while they gain mileage and get more customers along the way.You may try to outsmart your competitor while creating a long term problem."
Last week, a policewoman manning a roadblock in Gweru allegedly attempted to swallow a $10 note after the anti-corruption officers swooped on her and her colleagues who were also arrested. Last month, Assistant Commissioner Gideon Baloyi was jailed for an effective nine months in prison by a Harare magistrate for indiscipline under the Police Act.
This came after 33 traffic officers from Avondale Police Station in Harare were transferred to other bases allegedly because of "intolerable corruption levels" in January.
The officer-in-charge was also transferred. The rot at the police station came to light when one of the accused policemen solicited a $50 bribe from a motorist.
Source - Southern Eye
