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Prosper Dembedza Herald Correspondent
FIVE Harare police officers have appeared in court on allegations of trying to extort US$15 000 from a legal practitioner in order to drop sexual abuse charges against his client.
Lawson Muchongwe (34), Perseverence Chisango, (31) Weston Muzorewa (36), Prosper Chimbumu aged (33) and Fredrick Moyo (34) were facing criminal abuse of office charges when they appeared before Harare Magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei.
They were freed on US$50 bail.
The court heard that the five accused persons alleged that they got information to the effect that the complainant had sexual harassment allegations which they were investigating.
It is alleged that they then requested to see him over the alleged investigations.
The complainant sought the assistance of his legal practitioner to accompany him to meet the accused persons after they had agreed to meet at Newlands Shopping Centre in Harare.
On October 11, it is alleged that the complainant, while in the company of his lawyer, proceeded to Newlands Shopping Centre where they met with the accused persons.
After some deliberations over the alleged sexual harassment issues, the accused demanded US$15 000 so that they would drop the charges which the complainant was facing.
On October 12, the complainant reported the case at Harare Central Police Station and detectives from CID Homicide investigated the allegations.
Investigations revealed that there was no such case of sexual harassment being investigated at ZRP Harare Central neither was there any other police station investigating cases where the complainant was the accused.
It is the State’s case that the accused persons were arrested after they went to collect some money from the complainant.
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