Five police officers who allegedly demanded US$15 000 bribe from a company director to drop some fake rape charges have been acquitted.
In his judgment Harare magistrate Donald Ndirowei said the reason for acquittal was that the State was relying on circumstantial evidence.
He ruled that the complainant testified that the police officers did not solicit any money from him but he only heard about it from his lawyer, adding that no money was shown to the suspects before and at the time of their arrest.
Lawson Muchongwe (34), Perseverance Chisango (31), Weston Muzorewa (36), Prosper Chimbumu (33) and Fredrick Moyo (34) were arrested for criminal abuse of office.
The complainant Garth Graig Duplooy, is a shareholder of Shartwaters Trading, a company which owns Garfunkel’s restaurant at Sam Levy’s Village in Borrowdale, Harare.
The State alleges that on October 11 last year, Duplooy and his lawyer met the police officers at Newlands Shopping Centre, who told them that they were investigating a sexual offence he had allegedly committed.
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They allegedly demanded US$15 000 and promised to drop the allegations against Duplooy.
However, on the advice of his lawyer, Duplooy made a police report on October 12 against the five policemen, leading to their arrest at Borelo Restaurant in Newlands, where they were allegedly caught demanding money.