Infidelity claims in mafia cops case

Andile Tshuma, Court Reporter
A LAWYER in a case of five cops who allegedly attacked a State witness in a case of bribery to stop him from testifying, has accused the witness of framing his clients for extortion after he suspected one of them was having an extra marital affair with his wife.

Malvin Ndlovu, an Assistant Inspector, appeared before Western Commonage Magistrate Mr Stephen Ndhlovu facing a criminal abuse of office charge.

He was charged together with Trymore Gore for allegedly demanding and getting a $150 bribe from Mr Claudius Chauke to secure his release after he had been arrested for malicious damage to property.

Mr Chauke’s wife had reported him to the police.

Ndlovu allegedly teamed up with four unnamed suspected cops and attacked Mr Chauke at his home mafia-style in a midnight raid.

They allegedly beat him up and threatened to kill him if he showed up in court to testify against them.

Mr James Dhliwayo of Phulu and Company Legal practitioners argued that the State could not rely on evidence from one witness that his clients solicited a bribe from Mr Chauke.

Mr Dhliwayo further submitted that Mr Chauke was freed under the law of Trivialities Act, which states that the law cannot try cases for valuables worth below $3. The damaged property- a wrist chain- was valued at $2,50 by Chauke’s wife.

“The law must not concern itself with trivialities. The broken chain was valued at $2,50. So is it not consistent that you were released due to the triviality of the matter and you never handed over $150 to my clients. You just compared the number that the officer had given you with the secret number that has been calling your wife, and after realising that they were similar you just decide to maliciously frame my client in a bid to fix him since you are suspecting that he is going out with your wife?”, he said.

Mr Chauke last week claimed Ndlovu and Gore demanded $150 for his release if he did not want to spend a weekend in the holding cells.

He had been arrested on a Friday.

“They said $100 was too little and I had to call my wife to come and give me $50 to top up. I handed over $100 to Ndlovu and $50 to Gore,” said Mr Chauke.