Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo-Court Correspondent
A MAN accused of posing as a judicial official appeared before the Harare Magistrates Court yesterday on allegations of attempting to extort US$900 from a motorist by falsely claiming he could stop the revival of a concluded case and destroy records.
Claddrine Chikafu (32) appeared before magistrate Mr Tapiwa Kuhudzai facing an extortion charge.
He was remanded in custody to tomorrow for a bail ruling. The State, represented by Ms Chipo Muvhamba, alleges that on May 26 last year, the complainant was involved in a road traffic accident in Norton.
Ms Tsitsi Mutangadura-Kanyoka was driving a Honda Vezel.
Following the accident, the complainant was arrested, prosecuted at the Norton Magistrates Court, convicted and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.
He successfully appealed both his conviction and sentence at the High Court, which reduced the sentence to community service.
The court further ruled that, having already served one month in prison, the community service sentence be set aside. It is alleged that in June this year, Chikafu, acting in connivance with accomplices who are still at large, devised a plan to extort money from the complainant.
The alleged accomplices reportedly contacted the complainant, while posing as court officials and detectives, falsely claiming that his 2025 case had been revived at the Norton Magistrates Court.
They allegedly demanded US$900, claiming the money would be used to destroy the complainant’s court records and prevent further legal action.
Initially, the complainant requested time to raise the money.
However, after the suspects allegedly continued demanding payment, he reported the matter to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) Police Unit on July 6 this year.
A trap was then set using US$900 supplied by investigators.
The State alleges that on the same day, Chikafu sent Gift Machemedze to collect the money from the complainant at the Eastgate Mall first-floor food court in Harare.
Machemedze allegedly received the trap money and was immediately arrested.
The marked cash was recovered during a search.
Upon arrest, Machemedze allegedly implicated Chikafu as the person who had instructed him to collect the money.
Police launched a manhunt for Chikafu and, on July 17, Machemedze allegedly spotted him in Harare’s central business district and alerted detectives, leading to Chikafu’s arrest.
Investigations are continuing.
