Off-duty cops nabbed for extortion

THREE police constables who were off duty but hatched a plan to extort money from illegal diamond dealers in Chiadzwa, disguised as detectives from the minerals section, have been arrested together with a civilian accomplice they worked with to commit the crimes.

The quartet — identified as constables Chuma, Muteti, another Chuma and a civilian Norest Magurei — were exposed after one of the three complainants tipped off police officers stationed at a nearby base in Marange about the covert operations of the suspects who were moving around with a Toyota Sprinter.

They were quickly arrested and investigations carried out by the arresting officers revealed that the three constables, who work at Dangamvura and Mutare Central police stations, were off duty but travelled to Marange to dupe the complainants abusing their positions.

Officer Commanding Manicaland Police Commissioner Dr Wiklef Makamache said apart from the criminal trial the officers were facing at the courts following their arrest, the force had also instituted disciplinary action against them.

“They have been suspended from active police work till the finalisation of the disciplinary hearings we are going to conduct,” he said.

“The position of the President of the country is that of zero tolerance against corruption and our Commissioner-General has echoed the same sentiments. We have thus reactivated and reconfigured our systems within the police force so that we sweep clean our rank and file of all traces of corruption.

“The arrest of these three officers who abused their duties as peace officers and also abused the system for their own personal gain shows the seriousness we have in fighting corruption. We are re-branding as the ZRP and in so doing we are eliminating rough elements within our midst.”

Dr Makamache said in the morning of November 2, the suspects who were driving a Toyota Sprinter approached the first complainant and threatened to arrest him accusing him of being an illegal diamond dealer.

The complainant who feared to get arrested gave the suspects US$60.

Moments later the suspects approached another complainant in the same area. Using the same modus operandi they were given US$30 after they threatened to arrest the complainant saying they were detectives from the minerals section.

Satisfied that their plan was working well, the suspects approached another complainant who only gave them US$10. Soon after handing them the money, the complainant went to nearby police and made a report.

On Monday the accused persons appeared in court facing criminal abuse of duty and extortion charges.

They were each granted $100 bail and the case will go to trial on November 22.

ZIMBABWE is endowed with vast mineral resources, ranging from gold, diamonds, coal, asbestos, platinum and many others, which are capable of transforming the country’s economic fortunes.

Manicaland is home to most of these minerals with gold and diamonds being the major ones.

To exploit these, Government has partnered with serious investors to mine some of the minerals and ensure that their extraction is done transparently and for the benefit of the country as a whole.

In Chiadzwa, Marange, the formation of the State-owned Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) was meant to bring order at the fields and ensure that the gems are mined in a transparent manner using the best recommended international standards.

However, the existence of such noble Government investment vehicles is being threatened by corruption which derails good projects.

Elsewhere in this issue we carry two disturbing stories in which two cops, who, ordinarily, were supposed to drive out illegal diamond dealers from Chiadzwa or rather, arrest them on sight, demanded bribes from the same culprits to enable them to steal the precious gems.

On Tuesday ZCDC chief security officer Mr Elias Mvere revealed during a conference in Mutare that illegal diamond panners remain a major threat to mining operations in Chiadzwa.

He said their illicit activities were a threat to the national economy.

Despite the heavy presence of law enforcement agents who are supposed to beef up security at the diamond fields from outside and the existence of private security company details who operate from within, illegal diamond panners are finding their way into the fields because of corruption.

The illegal panners were operating from various bases situated in the mountains while some are being offered rented accommodation by local villagers and shop owners.

Their covert operations were being sponsored by wealthy diamond dealers.

Candidly, the culprits who are sponsoring these illegal diamond miners are well known and it requires bold steps to be taken by the law enforcement agents to bring them to book.

The bases from which these illegal diamond miners are operating from are well known and it’s just a matter of flushing them out of these hideouts and making arrests.

Letting these criminals to sneak daily, under the cover of darkness, into the diamond fields and steal the national resource for their own personal gain, is a sure threat.

The arrest of the three police officers is a clear indication of the corruption that has tainted the bulk of law enforcers working in Chiadzwa.

A wholesome re-orientation of the human resource that is protecting the diamond fields from the illegal activities in needed quickly because the type of criminals who want to land their hands on the precious gems pay out huge amounts in foreign currency as bribes.

These illegal diamond buyers should not be allowed to come anywhere near the diamond fields. Setting up strict security check points around the fields is paramount.

Officer Commanding Manicaland Police Commissioner Dr Wiklef Makamache needs support to stamp out corrupt officers from the rank and file of the police force.

He is forthright on the arrest of the three cops who allegedly demanded kickbacks from illegal diamond buyers operating in Marange, when he points out the zero tolerance drive on corruption as a bold call coming from the highest office in the land and, in like fashion, the police were implementing the same.

Members of the public must come out in the open and make noise by blowing the whistle on individuals benefiting from corrupt activities.