News / National
Border control officers in court for taking bribes
05 Mar 2018 at 04:27hrs | Views
Two members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police Border Control section, Clayton Chipembere and Clopas Nhamburo, appeared before Chiredzi magistrate, Geraldine Mutsoto, on Wednesday facing charges of taking bribes from a transport operator.
The court heard that between January and December 2016 the accused jointly or individually received different amounts of money from Samuel Moyo whose vehicles are plying the Musina-Chiredzi route amounting to $222.
Moyo of house number 1149 Dilibadzimu Township in Beitbridge further alleged that he bought a refrigerator for Chipembere worth R3 800, in order for his vehicles Gutu Motors and Travel Tour to gain free passage.
He went on to tell the court that the two once impounded his Mercedes Benz sprinter registration number ABQ5160 at Masimbiti shopping centre along Ngundu-Tanganda highway before demanding a bribe from him.
He further stated that he paid the two by transferring money through Ecocash amounts ranging from $16, $18, $50, $26, $52, and $60 throughout the year. The statement for the transactions made was produced in court. The matter came to light went he (Moyo) gave a bribe of $50 to Tinashe Chapungu also of the border control section and was subsequently arrested.
However, the two's defence lawyer, Langton Mhungu argued that, never at any stage did his clients criminally abused their duties as police officers or unlawfully and intentionally received any money from Moyo. He went further to argue that the false allegations were, dubious and malicious cooked up for the sole purpose of running away the criminal case Moyo was arrested for.
During cross examination, Mhungu said, "I won't be wrong if I call you a criminal, because you are an accomplice in this matter. Your evidence can not be relied on because you can deliberately lie or mislead the court in order to secure an indemnity from prosecution, or get a lighter sentence.
Two were remanded out of custody to March 14 2018, for continuation of trial and the two state witnesses Paddington Mubayiwa and Jordan Patsika who Moyo's driver and assistant are expected to testify.
The court heard that between January and December 2016 the accused jointly or individually received different amounts of money from Samuel Moyo whose vehicles are plying the Musina-Chiredzi route amounting to $222.
Moyo of house number 1149 Dilibadzimu Township in Beitbridge further alleged that he bought a refrigerator for Chipembere worth R3 800, in order for his vehicles Gutu Motors and Travel Tour to gain free passage.
He went on to tell the court that the two once impounded his Mercedes Benz sprinter registration number ABQ5160 at Masimbiti shopping centre along Ngundu-Tanganda highway before demanding a bribe from him.
He further stated that he paid the two by transferring money through Ecocash amounts ranging from $16, $18, $50, $26, $52, and $60 throughout the year. The statement for the transactions made was produced in court. The matter came to light went he (Moyo) gave a bribe of $50 to Tinashe Chapungu also of the border control section and was subsequently arrested.
However, the two's defence lawyer, Langton Mhungu argued that, never at any stage did his clients criminally abused their duties as police officers or unlawfully and intentionally received any money from Moyo. He went further to argue that the false allegations were, dubious and malicious cooked up for the sole purpose of running away the criminal case Moyo was arrested for.
During cross examination, Mhungu said, "I won't be wrong if I call you a criminal, because you are an accomplice in this matter. Your evidence can not be relied on because you can deliberately lie or mislead the court in order to secure an indemnity from prosecution, or get a lighter sentence.
Two were remanded out of custody to March 14 2018, for continuation of trial and the two state witnesses Paddington Mubayiwa and Jordan Patsika who Moyo's driver and assistant are expected to testify.
Source - online
