Chronicle Editor
Tinotendashe Ndlovu, Midlands Reporter
TWO Gweru senior police officers have been arrested for allegedly soliciting for a US$5 000 bribe from a Swiss national claiming that they would protect him from the regional police organisation, Interpol.
Aloiuo Ruvhiyeli who is Officer in Charge Scenes and Lakayana Musevenzi who works in the Law-and-Order Department are accused of criminal abuse of office after allegedly seeking the bribe from Mr Andreas Fuchs.
Ruvhiyeli and Musevenzi appeared before Gweru provincial magistrate Mrs Learnmore Mapiye for initial remand on Tuesday.
They were not asked to plead and were remanded out of custody to July 27 on ZWL$5000 bail each.
The court heard that the crime was committed after the two raised an immigration issue with the tourist.
It is the State case that sometime this month Ruvhiyeli and Musevenzi allegedly went to Antelope Park where they approached Mr Fuchs.
The court heard that the two allegedly told Mr Fuchs that he was on Interpol wanted list for fraud and a crime of passion he committed back home.
Prosecutor Mr Fredrick Macheza said the two officers allegedly demanded US$5 000 to clear Mr Fuchs before they took away his passport and made a copy as surety that he would return with payment.
The court heard that Mr Fuchs allegedly paid US$3 000 to Musevenzi and got back his passport after being assured that he was now a free man.
Musevenzi, the court heard later, allegedly went to the Immigration Department requesting them to verify Mr Fuchs’ notice to visitors but was told to bring him along with the originals.
Mr Fuchs allegedly went to the immigration offices with his documents and was told that his documents were above board.
Not happy with the manner he had been treated, Mr Fuchs allegedly approached the ZRP Officer Commanding Midlands Province, who ordered investigations that led to the arrest of the pair.
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