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Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Court Reporter
A Harare magistrate has raised concern with the increase in cases of municipal police soliciting for bribes, abusing their authority in clamping vehicles and effecting arrests. Provincial magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo made the remarks while convicting one of the Harare City Council traffic officers, Kosamu Ngoma, of framing traffic charges for a commuter crew that refused to pay him a bribe.
Ngoma demanded “lunch money” from a kombi driver Mr Mike Matambo, who refused. Bitter at the non-payment of the bribe, Ngoma vowed to fix the kombi crew and framed charges against them before impounding their vehicle. The court found Ngoma guilty of the offence which it said bordered on corruption and slapped him with 420 hours of community service.
Ngoma will perform community service at Warren Park Polyclinic in Harare. Pronouncing the sentence, Mr Makomo said such offences by traffic officials were on the increase and there was need to impose deterrent sentences. “These offences involving council officers are on the rise with the courts being inundated by such cases, especially those from the traffic branch.
“The sentences of the courts must therefore reflect the seriousness of the offence,” said Mr Makomo.
Facts are that in June this year, Ngoma demanded a bribe from Matambo at Fourth Street bus terminus. He threatened to bar Matambo from operating in the city if he did not pay. He said Matambo should pay him money for lunch to avoid the harsh punishment.
The court heard that Matambo protested why he was being arrested since he was in a designated bus terminus. Ngoma told him it was because he had refused to buy him food. Ngoma is said to have told Matambo that as long as he was a municipal cop, his commuter omnibus was not going to operate in town.
Online Reporter