POLICE on Friday turned down bribe offers by 23 motorists they had nabbed for traffic offences at a roadblock in Norton and arrested them for an additional crime of bribery.
The four hours blitz at Norton along the Harare-Bulawayo
Highway ran from 10am to 2pm and the motorists offered bribes ranging from US$2
to US$10, each.
The 23 are expected to appear in court soon.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner
yesterday confirmed the arrests.
“On June 10, 2022, from 1000hours to 1400hours, police in
Norton arrested 23 suspects for bribery.
“The suspects were apprehended for various traffic offences
and tried to offer bribes ranging from US$2 to US$10 to police officers at a
roadblock along the Harare-Bulawayo highway at the 39km peg,” he said.
He warned people against bribing police officers.
“This clearly shows that there are members of the public
who are breaking the law and attempting to bribe the police. We would like to
warn them they will be arrested and face the full wrath of the law.”
Harare lawyer Mr Godfrey Mapaya applauded the police in
Norton for arresting the culprits.
“Offering a bribe to police is a criminal offence and they
should face the consequences of their action. Even the President himself, does
not like corrupt tendencies,” Mr Mapaya said.
Chairperson of the Southern Africa Regional Anti-Corruption
Organisation (Saraco) Mr Paddington Kadzungura applauded the police for
resisting corruption.
“We want to urge the public to desist from precipitating
corruption. Members of the public accuse the ZRP of being corrupt but its now
coming out that they also offer bribes,” he said.
Meanwhile, police in Gwanda have arrested Prince Sibanda
(27) and Abednico Ndlovu (31) for bribery.
The two, who are pirate taxi operators (mushikashika) were
arrested separately after trying to offer R100 bribe, each, to traffic police
officers.
On June 6, 2022, members of the National Taskforce deployed
in Beitbridge under operation “No to cross border crimes,” also arrested
Evidence Chionyere (37) for bribery at Bubi roadblock along Masvingo-Beitbridge
road.
The suspect approached the roadblock driving a Toyota Hilux
vehicle with foreign number plates and offered to pay the police R70 bribe to
evade arrest for insecure load as well as having an invalid Temporary Import
Permit.
Last month, a 27-year-old woman was arrested on allegations
of trying to bribe police officers with R100 at a roadblock along the
Masvingo-Beitbridge road while another man has been nabbed for smuggling a
Toyota Hilux Double cab vehicle and a Toyota Hilux Single Cab vehicle in
Plumtree, as police intensify their operation against border crimes and
smuggling.
The Beitbridge woman, Patience Tafireyi, was a passenger in
a Mercedes Benz Sprinter that was coming from the border town.
Recently, police in Beitbridge also arrested 12 bus
conductors for allegedly trying to bribe officers at a roadblock in Bubi, after
being found in possession of smuggled goods.
Their buses were intercepted along the Beitbridge-Masvingo
laden with goods smuggled from South Africa.
The conductors were arrested by the National Security
Taskforce attached to an operation code-named “No to cross border crimes”,
while their buses were carrying goods believed to have been smuggled into the
country.
The 12 bus conductors were Proceed Mugadza (34), Mahiya
Darlington (45), Titos Nyagara (55), Anyway Chizombe (39), Edmore Mavhiza (50),
Blessing Gune (32), Previous Nyangoro (45), Laston Katsande (41), Elvis Mashira
(34), Kudakwashe Ndlovu (42), Peter Muronza (34) and Onias Mungwanda (37).
Some of the conductors who have since appeared in court are
from bus companies which include Sliver King, MB Transport, Goodriders Bus
Service, Four Lions, Munhenzva and Chitulimani Bus company.
Others were travelling in a Toyota Granvia and a Nissan
Caravan.
The bus drivers have since been questioned by police.
They were arrested for bribery at Bubi roadblock along
Beitbridge-Masvingo highway after they had offered to bribe the police officers
with cash so that the buses could be allowed free passage without being
searched.
The total cash offered as a bribe is R4 150 and US$23.
Police in Beitbridge also arrested another conductor,
Anyway Pepukai (31) for bribery.
The suspect who was a conductor of a Mercedes Benz Sprinter
(AFG 9683) from SA instructed his driver to drive off at a police checkpoint
before producing cash amounting to R250 which he handed over to a police
officer in an attempt to bribe him and was nabbed.
The arrests come after the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption
Commission last month intercepted and impounded nine buses carrying smuggled
goods worth thousands of US dollars during an ongoing anti-smuggling blitz.
This comes at a time the country is reportedly losing US$1
billion annually through smuggling. Herald
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