Four police officers were yesterday charged with fraud in court for being part and parcel of the syndicates that extorted a Chinese national of US$3 000.
Lawson Muchongwe (34), Perseverance Chisango (31), Fredrick
Moyo (32) and Weston Muzoriwa (36) stationed at different police stations
appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi charged with fraud and were
remanded on bail of $50 000 each.
An alleged accomplice, Primrose Tarumbiswa (45) was the
first to appear in court last week.
The final member being hunted down, Prosper Chimbumu is
still at large.
Prosecuting, Mr Zebediah Bofu alleged that on May 9, at
around 11:30am the six met to work out how to get money from Mr Xie Haiyan.
At around 12pm, Tarumbiswa phoned Mr Xie asking to meet him
saying she wanted to order some stuff from China. The two met at around 5pm at
the corner of Leopold Takawira Street and Josiah Tongogara Avenue.
She was driving a Toyota Vitz and invited Mr Xie into her
vehicle. But the other five then appeared and approached the motor vehicle and
introduced themselves as police officers.
They accused Mr Xie of dealing in illicit drugs, bulk
diesel and foreign currency.
They told him, falsely, he was under arrest and they took
him into another vehicle and drove away alleging that they were taking him to
the police station.
They demanded for US$20 000 for his release, but Mr Xie
told them that he only had US$3 000 which he handed over the gang.
The gang decided to release him and Mr Xie went to Harare
Central Police Station to file a report. Herald
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