Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
A quartet of City of Harare employees appeared in court yesterday charged with criminal abuse of duty after they allegedly received bribes from unlicensed shop owners.
The four Givemore Karodza, Patricia Marikanda, Angeline Rachel P Karimazondo and Blessing Makuya were not asked to plead when they appeared before regional magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa.
The four are Harare City council municipal police officers.
Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti alleged that the four were deployed at Gulf Complex Shopping Mall to enforce council by-laws. ac
The terms of reference were that the quartet was supposed to enforce three by-laws which were Noise, Anti-litter and license inspection and verification for compliance.
Upon encountering individuals who are not compliant, tickets are issued for the following offences -noise making US$50, anti-litter US$50 and trading without a valid shop license US$300.
All these penalty fees are supposed to be receipted in the official ticket book.
The ticket is in the form of a notice, which is supposed to be paid within 7 days at the City of Harare offices and there are no spot fines issued to that effect.
Municipal officers are not supposed to collect payments from individuals or business operators in the course of conducting their duties.
The court heard that on the day in question, a report was made to Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) that Harare Municipal Officers were demanding from as little as US$20 per shop meant for Store holder’s Licence, threatening to close the shop for those who would not have paid.
Acting on the tip off, a team of officers from the Zimbabwe AntiCorruption Commission was released and arrested the quartet at Gulf Complex.
Upon arrest, they were then taken to ZACC offices where searches were made on them upon arrival.
Karodza was found in possession of US$132, Marikanda was found in possession of US$ 190 which was in her purple wallet, and Makuya was found in possession of US$20.00.
The total amount that was found in possession of the gang is US$342.00
Further investigations revealed that contrary and inconsistency with their duties the quartet had collected US$30 from Joseph Dzvene, US$20 from Pardon Tsibve, US$15 from Tapfuma Madhovi and US$20 from Godfrey Mawire, who operate at Gulf Complex.
There were no receipts issued for the money collected by the gang.
Lancelot Mutsokoti prosecuted.
Mathew Masinge