Prophecy leads to five police officers’ arrest

Midlands Correspondent

FIVE police officers stationed at Mataga Police Station in Mberengwa have been arrested after a colleague claiming to be a prophet reportedly went into a trance while on duty before “prophesying” that about a dozen of his workmates had concealed dockets in their houses.

The incident, which has sent shock waves in the police force, occurred on Monday.

Sources said the rare incident prompted the acting police officer commanding Midlands Province, Assistant Commissioner Learn Ncube and other senior officers to visit the police station on Tuesday after the police “prophet” further revealed some shady dealings, which were occurring at Mataga Police Station.

“The incident has sent shock waves in the Midlands province and Assistant Commissioner Ncube and other senior police officers in the province have since visited the police station following the incident.

“This was after five police officers from the same station had been arrested on Monday,” said the source.

The names of the arrested members of the police and the charges they were facing could not be immediately obtained yesterday.

The source said when Asst Comm Ncube and his team visited the station on Tuesday, many villagers and residents from Mataga Growth Point thronged the police station to have a glimpse of the police “prophet”.

“The rampant corruption at Mataga Police Station was exposed. The police prophet led senior officers who had come all the way from Gweru into every house where some dockets ranging from concealed rape and murder charges were recovered.

He (the police prophet) also claimed that some of the dockets were thrown into Blair toilets at the police station,” said the source.

The source said most senior police officers at Mataga Police Station were arrested save for a few police officers.

“Only a few police officers who had just been deployed to Mataga Police Station were spared in the incident, which many villagers and residents have since named the Mataga scam. The police station is right now facing a serious staff shortage because almost every officer was involved in the scam and arrested,” said the source.

Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Patrick Chademana who confirmed Asst Comm Ncube’s visit to Mataga Police Station on Tuesday said he was still to get the briefing from his bosses.

“I understand Assistant Commissioner Ncube visited the police station in question yesterday. I am, however, still to get some briefings on their findings,” said Insp Chademana on Wednesday.

Contacted for comment, Asst Comm Ncube denied allegations that there were a number of police officers who were arrested over corruption charges.

He said only one police officer who was facing charges of engaging in sex with a minor was arrested.

Asst Comm Ncube said the police recovered all the evidence, which had been thrown into a Blair toilet by the police officer.

“It’s only one police officer who was being investigated. The police officer is facing charges of having sexual intercourse with a minor and in the process of trying to conceal the evidence, he then dumped his docket and some administrative books on other matters in the Blair toilet. We, however, managed to retrieve the evidence and all the administration books that he had been thrown into the Blair toilet,” he said.

Asst Comm Ncube said the suspect police officer was now out of custody while investigations into the matter continued.