Female cop in hot soup for extorting $5 000

HARARE - A 40-year-old policewoman, Plaxedes Musiiwa is under fire for allegedly conniving with two former detectives to process fake police identity cards which they later used to extort US$5 000 from a local doctor.

Musiiwa yesterday appeared before magistrate Milton Serima charged with extortion. Her alleged accomplice, Basil Kichima (36), has since appeared in court while former detective constable Moses Nyavanhu is still at large.

Kichima, who has a pending robbery case, was denied bail while Musiiwa was remanded to today for bail ruling.

It is alleged that on October 9 at around 4pm, the trio confronted Doctor Maketa at Glen View Medical Centre.

They allegedly produced fake police identity cards and identified themselves as detectives from Harare Central Police Station. They accused Dr Maketa of buying a stolen suction machine. They informed him that he was under arrest before force-marching him into their getaway vehicle, the court heard.

They drove towards the city centre and along the way they were threatening him with detention in police cells. They then demanded US$5 000 in exchange for his freedom.

Dr Maketa, it is alleged, gave them US$4 000 but they demanded more cash.

They drove to a bank where he withdrew US$1 000 which he handed over to them. They later dropped him in town and drove away.