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AN assistant inspector with Nyanga Traffic Police attached to the National Highway Patrol reportedly tampered with admission of guilt tickets issued against his junior for driving a public vehicle in uniform in a bid to press charges against him.
Assistant Inspector Sibangani Moyo is said to have altered the admission of guilt tickets which were issued against Constable Tonderai Danda in a bid to charge him under the Police Act.
Cst Danda, who was stationed at Braeside Police Station in Harare at the time of the alleged offence, was stopped by Assistant Inspector Moyo and Superintendent Thompson Moyo while driving a commuter omnibus along Seke Road in Harare while wearing a police uniform.
According to the Police Act, officers are not allowed to drive public vehicles while in uniform.
Asst Insp Moyo’s misconduct was exposed during Cst Danda’s disciplinary hearing held at Mbare District Headquarters in which he was being charged for contravening Paragraph 35 of the Schedule of Offences to the Police Act, as read with Section 29 and 34 (Acting in an unbecoming manner or in a manner prejudicial to good discipline or reasonably likely to bring discredit to the Police Force).
The offence was allegedly committed on May 17.
Asst Insp Moyo was the chief witness in the disciplinary hearing.
Cst Danda, who was being represented by Mr Moses Nyatsoma of Zvinavakobvu Law Chambers, denied the allegations.
In his closing submissions filed before Superintendent Patience Kutyauripo, who presided over the matter against Cst Danda, Mr Nyatsoma said: “Upon being asked under cross-examination on why the four admission of guilt tickets he issued against the defaulter had different dates of births, tampered names and time, he conceded that the documents had been tampered with.”
“He admitted that the copies given to the defaulter were different in substance from those in police possession, in particular, admission of guilt, ticket number 7339647, which had no time on the defaulter’s copy, while on the police copy, the date of the birth was fraudulently inserted as 20/03/90 and time stated as 13.45hrs.
Admission of guilt ticket number 7339650 copy that was given to the defaulter had different signatures from other tickets and was signed by Marimbe Jimson with date of birth given as 05/08/87.
“The witness failed to answer why the admission of guilt tickets numbers 7339647 and 7339650 were issued with Marimbe’s date of birth if he was the driver of the vehicle.
“He also failed to explain his motive and intention in amending the traffic tickets. He also did not dispute the fact that the copies to be used as exhibits by the complainant were clearly tampered with in order to implicate the defaulter,” he said.
Cst Danda, through his lawyer, also said in his closing submissions that the complainant conceded that the tickets were grossly tampered with.
Also, in his defence, Cst Danda had denied the charges, saying he never drove the kombi on the day in question, as his seniors alleged.
“The accused person will tell the committee that he was ordered to sign some of the traffic tickets by Supt Moyo since he alleged that the vehicle belonged to the defaulter and also since he was the one who had paid the tickets for the driver,” he said.
Supt Kutyauripo cleared Cst Danda of the offence.
Online Reporter