News / Local
'Rogue cops' demand bribes from motorists
14 Apr 2014 at 06:42hrs | Views
FOUR bogus policemen have been arrested for allegedly masquerading as uniformed traffic police and demanding bribes from motorists they stopped at several Bulawayo intersections.
Farai Mukute, who is a member of the ZRP, Windas Mudenda and Takaedza Mutarangire both ex-policemen and Qinisani Sibanda, appeared in court facing two counts to extortion each for collecting a total of $8 from motorists.
Bulawayo magistrate Sibongile Msipa remanded them out of custody to April 24 on $70 bail each.
It is the State case that on April 3 at the Gwanda Road and Cecil Avenue intersection in Bulawayo, the first complainant Thabo Moyo was stopped by the four accused persons who were driving a Silver Toyota Vitz ADE 4565 and they were all wearing police uniforms except for Sibanda.
They accused Moyo of parking his vehicle at an undesignated place and threatened to take his taxi to Vehicle Inspection Department (VID).
Afterwards they demanded cash in order to release the taxi and they were given $1 and 20 rand and released him.
The complainant then phoned the police and informed his boss about the incident.
On the following day, at the United Bulawayo Hospitals turn-off, the four men unlawfully obtained $5 from Sifelani Thebe threatening to take away his vehicle if he did not pay.
Thebe consented and gave them $5.
Last week four "rogue" police officers were arrested for setting up a bogus road block and forcing a South African driver to bribe them with $100 after he went through an amber traffic light.
Thulisani Pakarambwa, 34, from Pelandaba, Fortune Phiri, 26, from Hillside, Alice Mapepa, 23, all from ZRP Hillside, and Desmond Charuma, 23, were remanded out of custody and their trial will start on April 25.
The quartet reportedly approached Garry Edwards and told him that he had skipped a red traffic signal and asked for his driver's licence and temporary import permit.
They then demanded $100 from the driver threatening to impound his car if he did not comply.
Farai Mukute, who is a member of the ZRP, Windas Mudenda and Takaedza Mutarangire both ex-policemen and Qinisani Sibanda, appeared in court facing two counts to extortion each for collecting a total of $8 from motorists.
Bulawayo magistrate Sibongile Msipa remanded them out of custody to April 24 on $70 bail each.
It is the State case that on April 3 at the Gwanda Road and Cecil Avenue intersection in Bulawayo, the first complainant Thabo Moyo was stopped by the four accused persons who were driving a Silver Toyota Vitz ADE 4565 and they were all wearing police uniforms except for Sibanda.
They accused Moyo of parking his vehicle at an undesignated place and threatened to take his taxi to Vehicle Inspection Department (VID).
Afterwards they demanded cash in order to release the taxi and they were given $1 and 20 rand and released him.
The complainant then phoned the police and informed his boss about the incident.
On the following day, at the United Bulawayo Hospitals turn-off, the four men unlawfully obtained $5 from Sifelani Thebe threatening to take away his vehicle if he did not pay.
Thebe consented and gave them $5.
Last week four "rogue" police officers were arrested for setting up a bogus road block and forcing a South African driver to bribe them with $100 after he went through an amber traffic light.
Thulisani Pakarambwa, 34, from Pelandaba, Fortune Phiri, 26, from Hillside, Alice Mapepa, 23, all from ZRP Hillside, and Desmond Charuma, 23, were remanded out of custody and their trial will start on April 25.
The quartet reportedly approached Garry Edwards and told him that he had skipped a red traffic signal and asked for his driver's licence and temporary import permit.
They then demanded $100 from the driver threatening to impound his car if he did not comply.
Source - chronicle
