Detectives on Wednesday night fired warning shots to arrest
a policeman and a member of a Harare neighbourhood watch suspected to be part
of a group of rogue officers demanding bribes from truck drivers at a roadblock
south of Harare.
The two, who resisted arrest, were using a white Toyota
Corolla (ACP 5101). Detectives halted their escape by shooting out the right
front tyre and damaging the right passenger door during the scuffle at the
intersection of Simon Mazorodze and Willowvale roads around 7pm.
The arrested pair are Constable Ephraim Mashonganyika and a
member of a neighbourhood watch, Wilfred Matuka.
The two fell into a trap set by the detectives, while their
suspected accomplice disappeared into the night. The duo is detained at
Southerton Police Station as investigations continue.
They are alleged to have been manning a roadblock before
the tollgate near Southlea Park, targeting trucks coming from South Africa.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi confirmed the arrests and said the police did not condone any form of
corruption or any acts of criminality by officers.
“It is alleged that on April 30, the complainant who was
driving a truck from South Africa to Harare was stopped by five people who
blocked him with a Toyota Bubble and they instilled fear in him before
demanding a US$150 bribe from him.
“Again on May 26, the same driver was driving the truck
from South Africa to Zimbabwe and at the same spot he was stopped by occupants
of the same car.
“A trap was later set resulting in the arrests of Cst
Mashonganyika and Matuka. They also tried to resist arrest resulting in shots
being fired. However, in this case the law will take its course,” he said.
Narrating events that led to the dramatic arrests, police
sources said on Wednesday at around 8am, five police officers including
Mashonganyika and Matuka were manning the roadblock when they stopped a South
African registered truck, which was on its way to the city.
The truck was ferrying agricultural chemicals for a
Harare-based company and the officers demanded to see documents for the cargo,
which they later alleged were fake before threatening to impound the truck.
During the process, they demanded US$300 to release the
truck. While they were “negotiating”, the truck driver recognised Mashonganyika
as one of the officers who about four weeks earlier had extorted US$150 from
him by claiming his tyres were worn.
However, on Wednesday, the driver phoned the truck owner
informing him that the same police officers were demanding more cash.
The owner went straight to Harare Central police station
and a team of six detectives was sent out to investigate the case.
Police set a trap to arrest the suspected extortionists
with the help of the truck driver. He called the suspects.
They quickly drove to the intersection of Willowvale and
Simon Mazorodze Roads, anticipating their bribe.
The six detectives, hiding nearby, witnessed the handover
and then emerged to effect the arrest having caught the three red-handed.
The three drove off, but detectives fired warning shots and
then shot the right front tyre and hit the right passenger door of the getaway
vehicle, resulting in two suspects surrendering while the third disappeared
into the
darkness.
Checks revealed that both Mashonganyika and Mataka were
based at Southlea Park Police Post.
Police have been taking a far stricter stance on corruption
within the force and have urged the public to help them by refusing to pay
bribes and to report attempted extortion promptly. Herald
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