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Anyway Zengeya (36) on different occasions approached vendors at Eastgate shopping mall and demanded their licences.
He would threaten them with detention and confiscation of their wares before demanding cash to release them.
Zengeya was not asked to plead to charges of impersonating a police officer when he appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Anita Tshuma who remanded him to today for plea recording. He was granted US$30 bail.
Prosecutor Ms Auxillia Mangwaira alleged that on June 16, Zengeya approached Norah Chari and asked for the prohibited epidemy oilment on the pretext he wanted to buy it and Chari took it from her handbag.
It is alleged Zengeya quickly snatched the bag and told Chari that she was under arrest.
He ordered her to follow him to Harare Central Police Station. Zengeya, it is alleged, told Chari she would be detained and she offered him US$3 before she was released.
On June 22, the State said, Zengeya using the same modus operandi approached Tracy Masau and confiscated all her wares while threatening her with detention.
He was given US$2, which he pocketed and gave her back her wares.
It is the State’s case that Zengeya approached Silvia Mlambo on June 23 and introduced himself as a police officer.
He ordered her to follow him to Harare Central Police Station for detention after taking her sweets, cigarettes and airtime recharge cards. Zengeya demanded money and was given US$2. He was arrested on June 25 when he tried to arrest another vendor using the same tactic. The vendors demanded to see his police identity card, but he failed to identify himself.
Online Reporter