Online Reporter
B-Metro Reporter
A Karoi police officer who tried to cover up his corruption by swallowing a marked US$50 note has been jailed for 30 months after being convicted of extortion.
Sergeant Paul Mutingoringo Dzimbanhete (32) was stationed at Karoi Urban Police Station when he decided to turn a routine traffic stop into a money-making scheme.
Between 3 and 13 June 2025, the rogue officer confiscated a driver’s certificate of competency from Olly Mcupi along the Karoi–Nyamambizi Road and demanded US$50 for its release.
The driver’s father, Sebastian Kumbirai Chinyemba, reported the matter, leading to a sting operation by the Internal Investigations team from Police General Headquarters.
Mcupi arranged to meet the officer at TM Supermarket in Karoi, where Dzimbanhete — seated in a Toyota Gaia (ADX 8251) — returned the licence in exchange for cash. “The internal investigations team moved in immediately, capturing the transaction on video,” said the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) in a stayemwnt.
In a desperate bid to destroy evidence, the officer swallowed the marked US$50 note. But the plan backfired — officers still arrested him and recovered US$3, ZIG10 cash, and a ZRP Book 6 showing he had falsely recorded Mcupi’s arrest as “dangerous parking.”
The court found him guilty of extortion, sentencing him to 36 months imprisonment, with six months suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour — leaving him with 30 effective months behind bars.
“The law expects officers to uphold the highest standards of integrity,” said the NPAZ.
“Every officer is expected to serve with honour, professionalism, and respect for the law.”
