Wednesday, 7 February 2018

COP ARRESTED OVER $1 320 BRIBES

A policeman attached to the Midlands Professional Updating Centre (PUC) has been arrested for allegedly receiving $1 320 in bribes to facilitate the recruitment and training of three prospective police officers.

Constable Arnold Garikayi Matara (32) of Mkoba 17, Gweru, appeared before Midlands provincial magistrate, Mrs Phathekile Msipa on Monday facing fraud charges. He was not asked to plead and was remanded out of custody to February 15 on $100 bail.

It is the State case that in March 2016, the first complainant Rebecca Muchairi did her pre-entry test for joining the police force and was told to approach Matara for assistance since she was almost 30-years-old, which is the cut off age for recruits.

Matara assured her that her request will be forwarded to Morris Depot Recruitment department for consideration. In July, Muchairi approached Matara to check on progress on her recruitment and was asked to pay a bribe of $520, which she did.

In November, Muchairi learnt that there was recruitment and applicants were at Midlands PUC en-route to Harare. She approached Matara who told her that the recruitment was for senior officers and asked her to check in January.

Muchairi later inquired from her brother who is a police officer and was told that there was no such recruitment taking place and she reported the matter to the police leading to Matara’s arrest. In another incident in September, two siblings Joshua and Last Mugwagwa did their pre-entry test for joining the police force.

In November, their father Efoius Mugwagwa approached Matara who demanded $400 from each of his sons, alleging that it was for the purchase of uniforms. Matara was paid $700 cash and a deposit of $100 in his mobile money account.

In November, Joshua and Last were called to Morris Depot for training and Mugwagwa leant that the police had provided them with uniforms for free. Mugwagwa approached Matara demanding his money back and was given $400 only. He reported the matter to the police, leading to Matara’s arrest.
Ms Memory Chitsunge appeared for the State. In another case, a Zhombe woman appeared before a Kwekwe magistrate facing murder charges after she attacked her husband and his mistress when she caught them being intimate.

Sandy Matava (35) was not asked to plead when she briefly appeared before Kwekwe magistrate Mr Storey Rushambwa for fatally assaulting her husband John Phiri and his mistress Lenia Sikhosana after she caught them naked at the woman’s house. She was remanded in custody to February 15 for routine remand and was urged to apply for bail at the High Court. Herald

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