Police officer jailed 20 years for human trafficking

Courts must not be influenced by public opinion on a subject matter that is pending before them

Bongokuhle Moyo, Online Reporter

THE Harare Magistrates’ Court has sentenced two men, a police officer and his accomplice who trafficked three women to Oman.

In a statement on X, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) said the duo was each sentenced to 20 years.

“Sometime between 2 February 2022 to 31 August 2022 Forward Mashonganyika, a Police Officer and Tendai Muswe acting in cahoots with Mohammed Ali Al Shihhi lured three unsuspecting women via WhatsApp to Oman for the purposes of forced labour and sexual exploitation.

Mashonganyika and Muswe misrepresented themselves to the complainants as employment agents recruiting people who wished to work in Dubai.

“The complainants only realised that they had been tricked when they arrived in Oman instead of being taken to Dubai as promised”, said the NPAZ.

The complainants managed to report to their families back home that they were subjected to sexual exploitation, and domestic servitude and were fed on leftovers in Oman.

“The matter was reported to the Police. Investigations revealed that the accused persons received a paltry USD74, USD200, and USD500 for the role they played in the trafficking of the three complainants”, said the NPAZ