By Staff Reporter
A POLICE superintendent in charge of Gokwe district was arrested along with his two alleged accomplices after they defrauded a cross border trader of US$2 000.
Edgar Moyo of ZRP Gokwe district, was nabbed by investigators from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc). He is being accused of impersonating a ZACC commissioner for purposes of committing fraud.
He is expected to appear on court Monday while two of his accomplices Cephas Phiri and Crispen Manda have since appeared before the courts.
ZACC said allegations against the trio arose on the February 5, 2022 when the complainant, Nyengeterai Mutasa, had her consignment of goods impounded at Chirundu Border Post by ZIMRA officials for non-payment of duty.
“She was given contact numbers purported to belong to Commissioners Muradzikwa and Makamure of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission by a clearing agent only identified as Nothando claiming that the
two would facilitate the release of her merchandise,” ZACC said.
“Mutasa called the numbers and was responded to by persons claiming to be Commissioners Muradzikwa and Makamure who instructed her to deposit US$200 through the InnBucks facility for fuel to travel to Chirundu
Border Post and she complied,” Zacc said.
ZACC added that February 20, 2022, Mutasa was again called by the duo who instructed her to give Moyo, by then a chief inspector and officer in charge Kwekwe Central Police Station, US$2 100 to release her goods.
Mutasa then met with Superintendent Moyo in Kwekwe and gave him US$500.
“It is alleged that Supt Moyo then instructed a subordinate to deliver the money and police badges of rank shoulder titles and a Special Tactics Unit cap to the bogus Commissioner Muradzikwa at Empress Turn Off between Kwekwe and Kadoma along Bulawayo Road.
“On the 26th of February 2022 the complainant was again instructed to pay another US$1000 through the same subordinate who handed over the bounty to the bogus Commissioners. Further allegations are that on the 1st of March 2022, Mutasa gave another US$300 to Supt Moyo after being instructed to do so, by the bogus commissioners,” Zacc said.
It is said that a team of ZACC investigators then swooped on Cephas Phiri at his house in Kadoma on March 16, 2022 and arrested him.
He was remanded in custody to the March 22 2022 pending bail application.
Two days later, the team tracked Crispen Manda and arrested him at his girlfriend’s place in Kadoma where they recovered US$500 which was part of the money the gang defrauded the Mutasa.
The team also recovered ZRP Uniforms and badges of rank.
Manda appeared in court and was remanded to March 25.
On the same date, the team managed to arrest Supt Moyo in Gokwe.
