The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has suspended the four
officers, including two senior officers, already arrested or being sought on
allegations of abuse of office and bribery over their handling of the
investigation into the illegal sale of stands in Kuwadzana in a US$1 million
scam.
The four — Deputy Director for the police CID commercial
crimes unit Assistant Commissioner Obeylaw Moyo (47), Detective Assistant
Inspector Claudious Majonga (37), Detective Constable Aaron Karuru (32), and a
fourth officer who is still on the run — will be suspended until their cases
are finalised by the courts. This is now standard police procedure for any
officer before the courts on a criminal charge, or who is being sought for a
criminal charge.
Should they be convicted, dismissal will be almost
automatic. Chief public prosecutor Clement Chimbare was implicated in
the matter, and was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (zacc)
together the police officers.
The accused were allegedly paid off with housing stands for
not arresting or not charging suspected kingpins in the scam. There is evidence
that they were allocated stands in the new middle-income Harare suburb of
Westlea, using waiting list numbers already given to others.
Another senior police officer, Superintendent Naboth
Nyachega, and two Harare City Council officials — human resources director and
former housing director Matthew Marara and housing assistant Aaron Taerera —
were also arrested over the case.
Police sources yesterday confirmed the developments, saying
any member arrested for any offence will automatically be suspended from duty
pending investigations.
“That is the procedure. They will also be charged
internally under the Police Act as part of the disciplinary processes,” said a
close source yesterday.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi yesterday said he was still checking the details of the matter.
Allegations are that in September last year, the Harare
municipality through town clerk, Engineer Hosiah Chisango, reported a case of
suspected fraud in which Edgar Dzehonye, Mathew Marara, Rudo Chigocha, Believer
Mpawaenda and Margeth Geroge were the accused persons.
The fraud arose from the alleged creation and corrupt
selling of 150 stands by Dzehonye, Marara and other accomplices in Kuwadzana 3,
4, and 5 without the knowledge or approval of council.
Investigations led to the arrest of the suspects, Tapiwa
Gona, Chigocha, Mpawaenda and Geroge, who then appeared in court after the
required paperwork was vetted by Chief Prosecutor Chimbare at the Harare
Magistrates’ Courts.
On February 4 this year, the four police officers in the
direct investigation — Majonga, Karuru, Nyachega and Mutipforo — also arrested Dzehonye
and Marara who appeared in court the following day.
Their docket was again vetted by chief prosecutor Chimbare,
who allegedly corruptly ordered the release of Dzehonye and Marara and advised
the State to proceed by way of summons as there were several others facing the
same charges.
According to the State, this was despite the fact that the
other four suspects had already appeared in court on the same charges and had
been formally remanded, although released on $1 000 bail each.
Investigations carried out revealed that after the case of
Dzehonye and Marara was ordered to proceed by way of summons, on March 19,
Moyo, Majonga, Karuru and another unnamed suspect still on the run, corruptly
received waiting list numbers belonging to other home-seekers and were selected
for consideration of unserviced residential stands in Westlea, in a bid to
jeopardise investigations and prosecution of the two. Herald
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