News / Regional
Police detectives 'rob' vendor
23 May 2015 at 10:25hrs | Views
TWO police detectives were yesterday arraigned before Gweru magistrate Mildred Matuvi facing allegations of robbing a female street vendor and her boyfriend of over $1,000.
Detective constables Fredrick Chiokoyo, 30, and Tafadzwa Siwela, 26, appeared before Matuvi facing two counts of robbery and assault.
Chiokoyo of Mkoba Village 16 and Siwela of Mkoba Village 14, who are both stationed at Gweru Central Police Station, were remanded out of custody to June 3 for trial.
They were not asked to plead after their trial failed to kick-off.
Matuvi said the trial failed to take off because the defence lawyer was sick.
Prosecuting, Andrew Marimo told the court that on January 25, at around 11AM, the two police officers received information from an unknown person that the complainant, Linda Kavhiza, 25, a street vendor, had received some money from her boyfriend, Maxwell Ntini, a gold panner.
Marimo said Chiokoyo and Siwela went to Kavhiza's place of residence.
He said they asked Kavhiza to come to their vehicle.
Marimo said Kavhiza sat in the back seat of the police officers' motor vehicle before they started questioning her about the cash that she had received from her boyfriend.
"Kavhiza told them that she had no idea about what they were talking about. They threatened to shoot her, warning her that they were members of the CID," said Marimo.
Fearing for her life, Marimo said, Kavhiza took the two police officers to her bedroom where they searched the whole room and discovered $500 in her wardrobe.
Marimo said Siwela then slapped Kavhiza three times in the face demanding more money before she gave them another $300.
He said later that day at around 1.30PM, the two police detectives went after Ntini and caught up with him at Lower Gweru turn-off where they pulled him out of the car he was travelling in.
"Ntini fell to the ground and Siwela assaulted him with booted feet, kicking him in the stomach. Chiokoyo took Ntini's belt, tied his hands with it and took $550 from him," said Marimo.
He said Siwela demanded more cash and gold and threatened to kill Ntini if he did not comply.
Siwela and Chiokoyo then took Ntini to Mkoba Village 6 Shopping Centre where they released him.
Ntini reported the matter to the police leading to the two police detectives' arrest.
Detective constables Fredrick Chiokoyo, 30, and Tafadzwa Siwela, 26, appeared before Matuvi facing two counts of robbery and assault.
Chiokoyo of Mkoba Village 16 and Siwela of Mkoba Village 14, who are both stationed at Gweru Central Police Station, were remanded out of custody to June 3 for trial.
They were not asked to plead after their trial failed to kick-off.
Matuvi said the trial failed to take off because the defence lawyer was sick.
Prosecuting, Andrew Marimo told the court that on January 25, at around 11AM, the two police officers received information from an unknown person that the complainant, Linda Kavhiza, 25, a street vendor, had received some money from her boyfriend, Maxwell Ntini, a gold panner.
Marimo said Chiokoyo and Siwela went to Kavhiza's place of residence.
He said they asked Kavhiza to come to their vehicle.
"Kavhiza told them that she had no idea about what they were talking about. They threatened to shoot her, warning her that they were members of the CID," said Marimo.
Fearing for her life, Marimo said, Kavhiza took the two police officers to her bedroom where they searched the whole room and discovered $500 in her wardrobe.
Marimo said Siwela then slapped Kavhiza three times in the face demanding more money before she gave them another $300.
He said later that day at around 1.30PM, the two police detectives went after Ntini and caught up with him at Lower Gweru turn-off where they pulled him out of the car he was travelling in.
"Ntini fell to the ground and Siwela assaulted him with booted feet, kicking him in the stomach. Chiokoyo took Ntini's belt, tied his hands with it and took $550 from him," said Marimo.
He said Siwela demanded more cash and gold and threatened to kill Ntini if he did not comply.
Siwela and Chiokoyo then took Ntini to Mkoba Village 6 Shopping Centre where they released him.
Ntini reported the matter to the police leading to the two police detectives' arrest.
Source - chronicle
