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Sheillah Mapani Herald Reporter
A Zvimba man appeared in court on Friday for allegedly masquerading as police Deputy Commissioner-General Innocent Matibiri.
Dominic Murefu Matibiri appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Josephine Sande facing charges of impersonating a police officer and was remanded to Thursday this week.
Murefu was told to approach the High Court for bail application.
Prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that sometime in July this year, Chief Superintendent Edmore Bakayidza, who is stationed at Harare Traffic Headquarters, received a phone call from Murefu.
It is alleged that he introduced himself as Deputy Commissioner-General Matibiri.
The court heard that Murefu told Chief Supt Bakayidza to cancel the deployment of his nephew, Constable Peter Gondo, to ZRP Dotito. He told him that Const Gondo got married recently, so it was not proper for him to move from Harare to Dotito, leaving behind his new wife.
Mr Mutizirwa said on July 17, Murefu called Chief Supt Bakayidza and ordered him to send $100 into his EcoCash account after claiming that he had lost his nephew in Kadoma and promised to pay back the money.
Chief Supt Bakayidza sent the money to Murefu.
On July 24, Chief Supt Bakayidza received correspondence from the ZRP chief clerk (Harare Province) making a follow-up on why Const Gondo did not report for duty in Dotito since he had been transferred.
Chief Supt Bakayidza then called Murefu and requested to visit him at Police General Headquarters to discuss Const Gondo’s issue.
It is alleged that Murefu told him to provide Const Gondo with a ZRP Form 80 so that he could report to his new station on the same day, as he did not want any problems with his subordinates at Police General Headquarters.
Further allegations are that on the same day, Chief Supt Bakayidza received a report from Southerton Police to the effect that one Constable Mvuvu had impounded two vehicles belonging to a Mr Marime. He later received a phone call from Murefu, demanding the release of the vehicles.
Chief Supt Bakayidza requested for Deputy Comm-Gen Matibiri’s phone number after his suspicions got the better of him. Deputy Comm-Gen Matibiri indicated he had never phoned Chief Supt Bakayidza.
The court further heard that Const Gondo also denied having any connection with Murefu when he was interviewed. The police traced Murefu’s where-abouts and arrested him.
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