Vusumuzi Dube
Danisa Masuku, [email protected]
A female police officer based in Bulawayo who locked her colleagues inside her shebeen to prevent them from confiscating alcohol sold at the illegal drinking spot in the city centre has been fined US$300 for the offence.
Modester Nyambe (31), who was attached to the Provincial Reaction Group, appeared for sentencing before Bulawayo Provincial Magistrate, Mr Isheunesu Mathoba, facing a charge of obstructing or defeating the course of justice. She was represented by her lawyer, Ms Toboka Nyathi.
The magistrate ordered her to pay a US$300 fine on or before 28 February, failure of which she will be imprisoned for six months.
“The offender obstructed the course of justice when she prevented police officers who wanted to confiscate alcohol from her shebeen. She abused her office as she blocked officers who were carrying out their official duties,” said Mr Mathoba.
“The moral blameworthiness is high because, as an officer, she was supposed to comply but she did the opposite and locked them inside.”
During cross-examination, the complainant, Assistant Inspector Lloyd Mazura, said he and his colleagues arrived at the shebeen, which is located in a building in the city centre.
“We received a tip-off that there was a shebeen operating in the city. We headed there and found a man selling alcohol. He told us that he was not the owner,” he said.
“He said he was just an employee working for Nyambe. The man called Nyambe on her mobile phone, and she arrived quickly. She tried to reason with us to prevent us from confiscating the crates of alcohol, but we did not entertain her,” said Asst Insp Mazura.
He told the court that Nyambe blocked them from confiscating alcohol worth US$5 000.
“She seized the keys and dashed outside the room before locking us inside. We had to call the officer-in-charge, who then dispatched a team to open the door for us,” said Asst Insp Mazura.
Principal prosecutor, Mr Milton Ncube, told the court that on 30 December last year, shortly after 3PM, Asst Insp Mazura and his colleagues arrived at the shebeen located in the city centre.
“They found a man named Dodsway Mutsungi selling alcohol. They demanded a licence and he told them that he was not the owner of the shebeen. He informed them that it was owned by Nyambe,” he said.
“Mutsungi called Nyambe on her mobile phone, and she arrived quickly, wearing a police uniform. She tried to negotiate with the police officers so they would not arrest him, but they turned down her request.
The accused person then locked the gate of the premises, thereby obstructing them from seizing the alcohol to be treated as exhibits.
“Asst Insp Mazura then called his superiors, who engaged police from the Support Unit, leading to Nyambe’s capitulation and subsequent arrest,” said Mr Ncube.
derick.khumalo