News / National
Traffic cop convicted of duping 104 motorists
12 Oct 2018 at 07:14hrs | Views
A HARARE magistrate yesterday convicted a Zimbabwe Republic Police traffic officer on 104 counts of fraud after he manufactured several traffic offence fines receipt books (Z69J) and used them to accept fines for traffic offences.
Claudius Muzvimba (35) who pleaded not guilty, was convicted by Francis Mapfumo after a full trial.
Muzvimba said he was given the receipt books by his superiors to use on receipting fines from motorists.
But magistrate Mapfumo said Muzvimba had fleeced several motorists of their money which was not remitted to the government.
"There is no way the money which was collected using fake books was handed over to the administration. The receipt books were printed somewhere with criminal intention to swindle the motorists and government," Mapfumo said.
"The fake books were used concurrently with the original receipt books and the whole purpose of printing the Z69J was to make sure the money will not be remitted to the government."
Mapfumo postponed the matter to today for sentencing.
The court heard that from August 2016 to October last year while stationed at Avondale police station, Muzvimba connived with other fellow traffic officers who are still on remand and obtained various fake Z69J books.
Muzvimba and his accomplices would unlawfully use the fake receipt books to accept fines and receipt from unsuspecting traffic offenders.
The culprits would then pocket the money thereby prejudicing the State.
As required by the police administration procedures, completed dockets can only be filed after attaching the pink triplicate copy from a receipted Z69J book.
In all these cases Muzvimba, Mushayahwaro and accomplices misrepresented by attaching a fake pink triplicate copy which they would have receipted from their counterfeit Z69J books.
The court heard that on the strength of the fake pink triplicate copies Muzvimba and his accomplices would submit their completed dockets to their authorities for closure and filing.
Muzvimba was arrested after an audit was carried out on the books.
Michael Reza appeared for the State.
Claudius Muzvimba (35) who pleaded not guilty, was convicted by Francis Mapfumo after a full trial.
Muzvimba said he was given the receipt books by his superiors to use on receipting fines from motorists.
But magistrate Mapfumo said Muzvimba had fleeced several motorists of their money which was not remitted to the government.
"There is no way the money which was collected using fake books was handed over to the administration. The receipt books were printed somewhere with criminal intention to swindle the motorists and government," Mapfumo said.
"The fake books were used concurrently with the original receipt books and the whole purpose of printing the Z69J was to make sure the money will not be remitted to the government."
Mapfumo postponed the matter to today for sentencing.
The court heard that from August 2016 to October last year while stationed at Avondale police station, Muzvimba connived with other fellow traffic officers who are still on remand and obtained various fake Z69J books.
Muzvimba and his accomplices would unlawfully use the fake receipt books to accept fines and receipt from unsuspecting traffic offenders.
The culprits would then pocket the money thereby prejudicing the State.
As required by the police administration procedures, completed dockets can only be filed after attaching the pink triplicate copy from a receipted Z69J book.
In all these cases Muzvimba, Mushayahwaro and accomplices misrepresented by attaching a fake pink triplicate copy which they would have receipted from their counterfeit Z69J books.
The court heard that on the strength of the fake pink triplicate copies Muzvimba and his accomplices would submit their completed dockets to their authorities for closure and filing.
Muzvimba was arrested after an audit was carried out on the books.
Michael Reza appeared for the State.
Source - newsday
