admin
Leonard Ncube Court Reporter
THE five detectives from Harare who are facing charges of demanding and accepting a $10,000 bribe from an elephant poaching syndicate are finally out of remand prison, about two months after being arrested.
Detective Assistant Inspector Alois Gakata and his four subordinates, Detective Sergeant Wellington Jena, Detective Constables Shadreck Rore, Donald Dube and Chrispen Musonza were each granted $500 bail with stringent conditions.
Granting them bail recently, Bulawayo regional magistrate Trynos Utahwashe said there were no fears of interference with witnesses because investigations had been completed.
The detectives were ordered to surrender their travel documents, reside at their given addresses, not to interfere with witnesses and report three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Harare Central Police Station and Kadoma Central Police Station.
Det Cst Dube resides in Kadoma while the rest live in Harare.
The court ordered the five not to go outside a radius of 40km from Harare and Kadoma without clearance from the regional magistrate except when going to court.
They will next appear in court on January 9, 2014 for continuation of trial.
The State has invited the officer commanding police in Lupane District, Chief Superintendent Johannes Chinembiri Govo, Nduna Moyo and his wife Anna from Romney Park to testify.
State counsel Robin Mukura has told the court how the accused persons allegedly received a bribe from Moyo, the owner of the vehicle they had impounded.
Anna drove the vehicle, a Toyota Hilux to Harare as they intended to sell the ivory with Clever Khumalo and other members of the alleged syndicate.
There are indications that when Khumalo was arrested in the company of a Congolese national Daniel Mpa, the detectives clandestinely released Khumalo while Mpa was convicted in court.
The $10,000 bribe was allegedly sourced by Anna who had lied to her husband that she was visiting her sister who was ill in Kwekwe when she actually was going to Harare with the syndicate to sell ivory.
The same witnesses, the Moyos and Gena Mverechena are key witnesses in other cases involving use of cyanide to kill elephants and possession of ivory.
It is alleged that on August 27, Khumalo and Mpa were arrested after their car was found with 249kg of ivory at Rhodesville Shopping Centre in Harare.
Khumalo allegedly escaped and was later phoned by Det Asst Insp Gakata inviting him to a police station.
Instead Khumalo allegedly fled to Bulawayo where he sent Blessing Gumbo to phone Det Asst Insp Gakata who allegedly demanded $5,000 to clear him and the car.
Prosecutors allege that Khumalo gave Gumbo $3,000 to take it to Det Const Musonza in Harare.
It is alleged that Det Asst Insp Gakata demanded $7,000 more, saying the $3,000 was too little for them to share.
Sometime in September Jena, Rore and Musonza allegedly drove to Bulawayo and arrested Khumalo and Moyo who later allegedly bribed them with the $7,000.
It is alleged that the detectives after releasing Khumalo, deliberately took Moyo, instead of Khumalo to an identification parade in Harare so that Mpa would fail to recognise him.
The offence came to light when more members of the alleged syndicate were arrested and revealed their dealings.
Online Reporter