Zvikomborero Parafini
THE Acting Officer-in-charge at Borrowdale Police Station has been engulfed in an extortion storm involving US$13,050.
Inspector Farai Gwamure (51), appeared before Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa yesterday facing charges of extortion, criminal abuse of duty as a public officer and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
He was released on US$200 bail following a full bail application.
The State alleges that sometime this month, the Chinese businessman entered into an agreement with Nina Zheng for the transportation of chrome from Zimbabwe to Mozambique.
The deal allegedly collapsed after the chrome was offloaded in Mutare, instead of Mozambique, prompting Zheng to terminate the agreement and demand a refund of US$13,050.
Prosecutors allege Zheng, who is still at large, then enlisted Gwamure to forcibly recover the money.
On October 13, Gwamure allegedly connived with Zheng, and other suspected accomplices, who are already on remand, to confront the businessman at his Borrowdale home.
It is alleged Gwamure supplied the group with a Mossberg shotgun before ordering Fidelis Muyambo, who was manning the charge office, to hand it to Takuranashe Mugomba.
Zheng and the suspected accomplices allegedly drove to the businessman’s home armed with the shotgun and another firearm.
After finding the gate locked, they allegedly called him and demanded the US$13, 050, threatening him with unspecified consequences.
The businessman allegedly sent his driver to meet them at Nando’s Pomona with US$3m000 as part payment.
The State alleges that despite receiving the money, the group continued pressuring him, forcing him to transfer the equivalent of US$7 500 in Chinese yuan into Zheng’s bank account.
Three of the suspected accomplices then allegedly jumped over the perimeter wall and entered the property armed with the shotgun.
They allegedly broke into the house, found the businessman hiding in a bedroom, handcuffed and assaulted him while threatening him with the firearm.
He allegedly transferred another US$2,550 equivalent in Chinese yuan into Zheng’s account, bringing the total taken from him to US$13,050.
The group allegedly removed the handcuffs and left.
Later that day, the businessman went to Borrowdale Police Station intending to report that he had been robbed of US$11,000.
However, the State alleges Gwamure, knowing his suspected accomplices were implicated, devised a plan to stop the report from being formally recorded.
He allegedly turned the businessman away and promised to call him later.
Gwamure is further accused of later summoning the businessman back to his office, where he allegedly produced US$900 from his pocket and claimed it was the money the businessman said had been stolen.
When the businessman protested that it was only US$900, Gwamure allegedly added a US$100 note from beneath a diary on his desk and handed him US$1,000.
The businessman allegedly left without his report being officially recorded.
He returned to the police station on Thursday when another officer was Acting Officer-in-Charge and managed to have his report formally recorded.
Prosecutors allege that after Gwamure realised the report had been recorded, he connived with Mugomba and Kings Kasengezi to retrospectively record a fraudulent theft of trust property case in the station’s reports book.
Gwamure denies the allegations.
