A JUNIOR traffic police officer based in Kwekwe was taken to court on Monday charged for public abuse of office after he was allegedly caught red-handed receiving a $10 bribe from a traffic offender.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
The accused, Constable Newrance Chikwanda (40), denied the charge and provincial magistrate, Ngoni Nduna remanded him in custody to July 19.
The State alleges that Chikwanda was trapped and caught red-handed by his colleagues last Thursday, as he was receiving a $10 bribe from the aptly named Carpenter Dube, a carpenter by profession, to destroy an accident docket prepared against Vincent Hlanganiso.
Hlanganiso was allegedly involved in an accident in January this year after he ran over a pedestrian and the matter was being investigated by Chikwanda.
It is the State’s case that when Chikwanda failed to locate Hlanganiso, who had relocated to Silobela, he pounced on Dube and threatened to charge him for his relative’s crime.
Chikwanda allegedly confiscated Dube’s two wooden stools and later demanded an additional $10 bribe to cover up Hlanganiso’s traffic offence.
The accused later arrested Dube and placed him in police cells, demanding his bribe money.
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Dube reported the matter to the police, resulting in a trap being set for Chikwanda, who was caught red-handed by Detective Inspector Cornelius Dale receiving the trap money.
The arrest was also captured on camera after Dube tipped journalists of the trap.
