Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
TINOTENDA Maunganidza of Mbare, Harare, appeared in court at the weekend on impersonation charges after he allegedly masqueraded as a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) officer.
He was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo.
The commission was represented by Ronald Makotore. Maunganidza is a trader at Zebra Shopping Mall in Mbare.
The court heard that on May 2, Zimbabwe Republic Police officer Wilbert Ngandu, stationed at ZRP Mbare Traffic, was leading a team of police officers conducting traffic enforcement along Ardbennie Road.
The police officers arrested Tatenda Chidziva, who was driving a silver-grey Nissan Ad Van, registration number AGX6735, for a traffic offence.
Chidziva allegedly called Maunganidza on his mobile phone, who then requested to speak to the police officer who had arrested him.
He spoke to Ngandu and introduced himself as an official from ZACC.
He allegedly demanded Chidziva’s immediate release, claiming he was his brother. Ngandu, however, refused to do so.
Maunganidza went to Mbare Police Station and requested to see Ngandu. Ngandu asked Maunganidza to show him his identification card from ZACC, and he showed him a Zimbabwe National Anti-Corruption Organisation (ZINACO) card.
The police officer then inquired with ZACC and established that Maunganidza was not a ZACC official, but an impostor, leading to his arrest. Further investigations revealed that Maunganidza has a pending case of a similar nature.
He was remanded in custody pending bail considerations.
