TWO kombi drivers, Ishmael Gonyora (24) and Tinashe Madzima (33), who were arrested for allegedly paying bribes to two police officers manning a roadblock in Mabvuku, Harare, have applied for bail and the ruling will be handed down tomorrow.
As paying bribes is as much a crime as receiving bribes, the latest arrests show a new determination to end corruption by arresting those involved on both sides of a corrupt practice.
The two police officers allegedly involved, Sergeant James Chifamba (46) and Constable Trymore Mukunza (36), were last Friday remanded to December 6 by Harare magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa, pending finalisation of investigations. The police officers were arrested early this month and are facing charges of criminal abuse of office as public officers.
The State alleges that on November 2 at Mabvuku Turn-off along the Harare-Mutare highway at around 6am, the two drivers of different kombis were stopped by the police officers and pulled over.
One of the drivers, Gonyora, then disembarked from his kombi and approached the two police officers and gave them an undisclosed amount of money.
The second driver, Madzima, allegedly did the same thing. All this was being recorded by an unknown person who then posted the video on social media and it went viral, leading first to the arrest of the suspected corrupt police officers and now to the arrest of the suspected corrupt drivers.
Prosecutor Mr Anesu Chirenje alleged that the two police officers were deployed to conduct traffic enforcement duties at Mabvuku traffic lights along Mutare Road towards Harare. The two had specific duties to stop motor vehicles and check for any violations of road regulations, but to the contrary, the duo would not check for violations.
It is alleged that they would wait for drivers of the vehicles to approach them, have a brief conversation and then receive a bribe. The act of not checking for violations of road rules suggests they showed favour to the motorists in question and in so doing, they acted contrary to their duties. The State alleges it has evidence in the form of video recording of the events of the day.
