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A police officer allegedly involved in illegal money lending business yesterday appeared in court facing charges of threatening to impound his client’s car for failing to pay $1 000 interest on the loan advanced to him. Joshua Chitsika (36), of New Quarters, ZRP Ross Camp in Bulawayo pleaded not guilty to a charge of operating as a money lender without a licence as defined in section 5 of the Banking Act, Chapter 24:20 when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate, Ms Sibongile Msipa.
He was remanded to 20 June on $100 bail.
The prosecutor, Mr Masimba Saruwaka, said sometime in January, Chitsika allegedly lent the complainant $1 500 on the understanding that the latter would repay the money with a 40 percent interest at the end of the month.
The court heard that the complainant failed to raise the required amount and Chitsika allegedly imposed a $550 penalty.
Chitsika then allegedly ordered the complainant to sign an affidavit under duress stating that he was going to pay the money on or before 6 February failure of which he would take his car, an Isuzu KB2200.
The complainant reported the matter to the police. Chitsika was asked to produce a licence from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to prove that he was a registered money lender and he failed to do so leading to his arrest.
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