TWO police officers and their accomplices were dragged to court yesterday after they allegedly extorted a senior Government official.
They accused her of passing through red traffic lights at
State House.
The two police officers, Cleopas Mutamba and Pirate
Mazarire, together with their accomplices Passmore Tsodzo and Sinikiwe Phiri,
were not asked to plead.
They appeared before Harare magistrate, Yeukai Dzuda, who
remanded them in custody to today for bail ruling.
The complainant is Beaulah Chirume, a director in the
Ministry of ICT and Courier Services.
The court heard that on April 6, at around 9am, Chirume was
driving from Sam Levy Village, Borrowdale, where she had withdrawn money from
ZB Bank.
She was driving along Seventh Street, towards the city
centre, in an Isuzu vehicle, registration number AFN 3490.
The four accused persons were trailing her in a Toyota
Wish, which was being driven by Tsodzo.
It is alleged Chirume turned into Samora Machel Avenue and parked her vehicle at a parking bay. The gang then parked their car at the adjacent parking bay.
Mutamba is alleged to have approached Chirume and
identified himself as a member of the Central Intelligence Organisation.
He told her he knew she was a Director in the Government
but had come to arrest her for passing through traffic lights, at State House,
when they were signalling red.
Chirume dismissed the claims and Phiri threatened to arrest
her unless she gave them US$300.
The two then ordered her to get out of her car and discuss
her issue with Tsodzo and Mazarire whom, they claimed, were their bosses.
However, Chirume failed to find a breakthrough and was
ordered back to her car.
By now, the court heard, Matamba was now sitting on the
front passenger seat while Phiri occupied the back left seat.
They kept demanding cash prompting her to hand over US$175.
One of them took her wallet and searched it and took US$17
and $200 and ordered her to drive west along Samora Machel Avenue.
They later disembarked and got into their getaway vehicle
and drove off.
Chirume filed a police report leading to their arrest. H
Metro
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