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RUSAPE magistrate Mr Shingi Mutiro last week convicted and slapped notorious dealer Moses Gomana, who was facing charges of attempting to bribe a senior cop, with a 12 month jail term.
The offence was committed on September 2, 2014.
Gomana, who has had several brushes with the law, was, however, lucky to escape jail after the magistrate wholly suspended sentence preferring to order the forfeiture to the State of the $400 which the convict dangled the officer-in-charge CID Rusape, Detective Inspector Simon Nyamupfukudza.
The convict, who was denying the charges, had sought to circumvent the law by greasing Det Insp Nyamupfukudza’s palm hoping to have him release his son Nyika Gomana’s car which is being held as an exhibit at Rusape Central Police Station.
The car is being held as an exhibit by CID Rusape in connection with a multiplicity of criminal cases (allegedly) committed by his son in Kwekwe, Gokwe, Mhangura, Kariba and Nyanga, among other areas.
Gomana, of VE 37, Vengere and also runs a backyard carpentry business at the main bus terminus, in his denial of the charges had argued that the money he had offered to Det Insp Nyamupfukudza was a “storage fee”.
Mr Mutiro said it was weird for Gomana to raise such a silly defence as police do not charge for the storage of exhibits.
He said it was “clear from the evidence adduced in court by the State that Gomana intended to bribe Det Insp Nyamupfukudza”.
Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira prosecuted.
The trial started on September 17, 2014, with Mr Mutyasira arguing that Gomana has been pestering Det Insp Nyamupfukudza since August 22, 2014, with the intention of offering him a bribe for the release of his son’s Toyota Mark 11.
Mr Mutyasira said since Gomana was so insistent, Det Insp Nyamupfukudza ended up appearing agreeable and he proposed to pay $400 in cash and another $100 which he said would be paid later by his son Mike Gomana.
On September 2, around 12pm, Gomana contacted Det Insp Nyamupfukudza and informed him that he was bringing the bribe money to his office.
Det Insp Nyamupfukudza instructed his two subordinates Detective Sergeants Orton Chirimo and Muwowo to hide in the armoury room in his office.
Gomana entered the office and jovially handed over the $400, which was wrapped in a white paper.
Det Sgts Chirimo and Muwowo emerged from their hideout and arrested the accused person and recovered the $400.
Online Reporter