Cops devise new roadblock bribe tricks

ZIMBABWE Republic Police (ZRP) traffic officers have devised a new trick to avoid being caught with bribe money by their superiors through reportedly working in cahoots with some kombi crews and taxi drivers who will pass on the loot to them after duty, NewsDay reported.

Investigations by NewsDay have shown that police officers manning roadblocks in and around Harare have also roped in airtime and newspaper vendors operating within their vicinity to keep safe money clandestinely collected from errant kombi crews in case their bosses pounce on them.

In separate interviews, kombi drivers confirmed to NewsDay that some of them had found "employment" with the police for keeping their money in return for being allowed to pass freely at roadblocks.

"There are drivers who work with the police and they benefit a lot from keeping the money police get from motorists. If you watch closely at roadblocks, there is always a kombi parked nearby as if the police are dealing with the driver yet the driver will be waiting to receive money for safekeeping," one of the drivers said.

"These days, you don't give cash directly to the policemen. They tell you to go and give it to the kombi driver or conductor parked nearby and they record who would have received what, then reconcile after work and share."

Kombi drivers pay at least $5 to pass through a roadblock.

Yesterday, police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said those with information regarding such tactics should report to the police as the force was against any form of corruption.

"We have said our investigations are open and all those with information can come forward and we investigate further. You can bring your sources forward and we investigate such cases if they are real," she said.

The ZRP has declared zero tolerance on corruption, but on the ground, several members have been arrested for soliciting bribes by of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).

The latest change of tactic by the police follows a tough stance by the ZPP in dealing with members found in possession of undeclared cash.

Police were still investigating a case of the discovery of $2 000 believed to be bribe money by a 10-year-old Beatrice girl stashed in a heap of rubbish.

Kombi drivers who ply the routes along Samora Machel Avenue including Norton, Kuwadzana, Warren Park and others, said traffic officers vetted kombi drivers and those who "qualified" were now being used to keep their money safe to avoid detection.

Immediately after the Beatrice drama last year, a sergeant based at Mazowe Police Station was found dead in a suspected case of suicide after he failed to account for cash recovered from his car at a roadblock along Highway during a spot check by one of his superiors.

Information gathered showed that Clarence Muza (31) was the leader at the roadblock in Mazowe along the Harare-Bindura highway with his colleagues when a senior officer arrived and demanded to search Muza's personal car parked several metres away and discovered cash that Muza could not account for.

Traffic cops are not allowed to carry personal cash while on duty and are subjected to spot checks by their superiors and the ZACC in a bid to curb bribery.