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Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
A Harare municipal licence inspector who allegedly demanded US$60 as a bribe to withdraw a ticket issued to a business owner for not having a business licence, and then had locked the premises when he failed to pay the US$290 fine, was yesterday charged with extortion when she appeared in court.
Priscah Mutereko, a sergeant with the municipal licence inspection unit appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi and was granted $50 000 bail. She was arrested on Wednesday by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission after allegedly receiving the US$60 in a trap set after the business owner made the complaint. he State alleged that on April 3, Mutereko was the leader of a team inspecting shop licences.
At around midday they issued a ticket to Paguta Trading (Pvt) Ltd for failure to produce a valid council business licence with a fine of US$290 which was supposed to be paid within 7 working days. Paguta is the business of Mr Blessing Dirani and the company specuialises accounting services.
On the May 15, Mutereko locked the Paguta premises since the fine had not been paid. Mr Dirani’s assistant accountant Tinei Jinga was manning the premises and phoned Mr Dirani to report that Mutereko said she could facilitate the cancellation of the ticket.
The court heard that the following morning Mr Dirani gave Mr Jinga US$20 to give to Mutereko. But when Mr Jinga contacted Mutereko she said the amount was too little and that she needed US$60 to reopen the premises considering that the ticket issued had a higher amount. Mutereko was subsequently arrested on Wednesday.
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