adminMpumelelo Nyoni Court Reporter
A ROGUE police officer based in Bulawayo ran out of luck when one of his victims reported him after seeing his face in the Chronicle for a different crime.Windas Mudenda, 31, who is stationed at Pumula Police Station, appeared before magistrate Sibongile Msipa facing three counts of extortion.
In the article published on July 18 titled “Cops or robbers”, Mudenda and his two co-accused were reported to have appeared in court facing robbery and assault charges and were remanded to August 11 for continuation of trial after denying the charges.
Prosecuting, Dennmore Kasenza yesterday told the court that Mudenda took Belden Mathuthu’s driver’s licence after he refused to give him $20 for parking dangerously.
“On May 29 at around 6PM Mudenda and an accomplice who is still at large approached Mathuthu who had parked his Nissan Cabal truck at BSS filling station along JM Nkomo Street and 5th Avenue”, said Kasenza.
“They accused him of dangerous parking and demanded $20 or else he would be detained at Central Police Station. When Mathuthu refused to give them the money, Mudenda took his driver’s licence and they sped off in a Honda Fit.”
The prosecutor said after Mathuthu saw the article, he immediately reported the matter to the police leading to Mudenda’s arrest on July 29.
In the two other extortion charges, the prosecutor said Mudenda and Nkosikhona Dube, 19, allegedly looted their victims’ cash and wares.
“On July 25 at around 5PM Mudenda and Dube took $200 from Sehlisiwe Dube who operates a typing service after accusing her of not having a proper licence,” said Kasenza.
The court heard that the two were at it again on July 29 and took R30 and six fish from Hatirarami Chibade, a fish vendor.
“Mudenda, Dube and two others who are still at large ordered Chibade to enter the Honda Fit and threatened to take him to Central Police Station for selling fish without a proper licence. On their way there, Mudenda took R30 and six fish,” said the prosecutor.
The trio parked the car and ordered Chibade to disembark. Chibade, however, grabbed Mudenda and alerted members of the public leading to his arrest.
derick.khumalo