STAFF WRITER
FOUR police officers, implicated in corrupt activities while enforcing Covid-19 regulations at a roadblock, have approached the High Court seeking reversal of the charges.
One is a retired police officer and three others are serving members of the police force.
The quartet are ex-sergeant Major Jambwa, sergeant Kasawaya, constable Mutanhau and constable Sande.
In the court papers filed at the High Court, the quartet cited Commissioner General of Police Godwin Matanga and one Superintendent Chinyama N.O as respondents.
They were charged with omitting to perform a duty in an improper manner which contravenes the police Act.
The four were implicated in corrupt activities at a roadblock in Harare, Newlands on the 30th of December 2020 while enforcing COVID-19 regulations.
It is the State’s case that team from the Police General Headquarters Internal investigations got a tip off the same day and descended on the four police officers who were allegedly engaging in corrupt activities at the roadblock.
In the court papers before the High Court, the police officers said the Police General Headquarters Internal investigators requested to search a vehicle they used which belonged to one of the accused and they denied demanding a search warrant.
A search warrant was obtained the same day at Police General Headquarters. Money was then found in one of the accused’s vehicle which did not tally with the money they declared upon commencement of their shift.
They appeared before Chief Superintendent to answer to corruption charges which they denied.
“On the 9th of September 2021, the accused appeared before Chief Superintendent Tigere to answer to the charges of omitting to performing a duty in any improper manner which contravenes paragraph 34 of the Schedule to the police Act chapter 11:10 ……The matter was however remanded to the 30th of September 2021 since the Trial officer, Superintendent Chinyama who was seized with the matter was on night duty. On the 2nd of October 2021, we appeared before Superintendent Chinyama where we raised an application for exception which was illogically dismissed without even considering the submissions by both parties,” reads the court papers.
The police officers dismissed the charges leveled against them arguing that they had done a handover takeover when the investigation team pounced on them.
“The reasons provided by the 2nd respondent in dismissing the application for exception demonstrated that he failed to apply his mind to the issues before him. His reasons clearly prove that his findings are irrational and baseless, his decision is not motivated by the facts or submissions made before him, both by the defense and state, he plucked facts and issues from the air and justified those reasons in dismissing the application. I say so for the simple reason that it was not in dispute that all the applicants had knocked off duty and were on their way home.”
They are seeking squashing of the charges leveled against them.
The matter is yet to be heard.
