RUSAPE – The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Rusape has busted a six member syndicate of toll collectors at Rusape tollgate that used to siphon thousands of dollars by allegedly tampering with the system.
The six – Tsenesa Kudzayi (29) of Nyanga Drive Rusape, Caroline Tausa (28) of Jacaranda Drive Rusape, Lloyd Maridzirashe (36) of Jacaranda Drive Rusape, Prosper Makoni (34) of Magamba Rusape, Panetsa Humanikwa (47) of NHF Vengere Rusape and Brian Nyamutswa (32) of Mimosa Drive Rusape are being held at Rusape Police station assisting the detectives with some investigations.
Manicaland police spokesman Assistant Inspector Luxson Chananda
confirmed the six’s arrest.
The six are represented by Taurai Khupe, of Khupe and Law Chambers.
Said Khupe: “The suspects have been arrested on charges of fraud but
they are denying the charges. As of now I am going through the State
papers.”
According to the Police, the offence was committed between March 27
and April 11, 2019 at Rusape tollgate.
“The six are toll collectors stationed at Rusape tollgate. They
interfered with the system to steal and remit less amounts than they
would have collected, to Intertoll Zimbabwe,” said Chananda.
“There are trucks that the Zimbabwe National Road Authority (Zinara)
classified at class six. These trucks should pay a toll fee of $10
each time they pass through the tollgate and that amount should be
entered into the system and remitted as such to the Intertoll
Zimbabwe,” said the police spokesperson.
“However, each time one of the six suspects was on duty, they would
reclassify and downgrade the class six trucks to class five that pay
$5. They would enter $5, instead of $10, into the system and share the
balance with the truck drivers, prejudicing Intertoll Zimbabwe of the
$5 they would have shared with the drivers,” said Chananda.
He said the six’s alleged fraudulent activities came to light after
the station manager one Tsoka received a tip-off from the motoring
public and instituted investigations.
The internal investigations established that this was what has been
happening. It could not be established when the scam started, and how
much the road authority could have been cumulatively prejudiced.
