Miscarriage of Justice as police authorities clear ‘Thieving’ Cops who ‘stole’ from Kwekwe man

Main Picture illustrative: President Emmerson Mnangagwa inspecting a police guard-of-honor 

– In a development that replicates a brazen disregard of human rights and miscarriage of justice, police authorities in Kwekwe have controversially cleared some ‘thieving’ officers who allegedly robbed Maphios Simukayi, a 27-year old Amaveni man of his phone accessories despite earlier admitting that there was wrongdoing by the cops in question.

Regardless of the fact that the Officer Commanding Police for Kwekwe District, a Chief Superintendent Maingire D, had earlier admitted that they were going to ‘take corrective administrative action against the concerned police officers to avoid future similar mishaps’, the police have now taken a dramatic U-turn, clearing themselves while citing lack of evidence.

In a 7 August letter, Simukayi alleged that he was robbed of mobile phone accessories by officers patrolling Kwekwe CBD on the pretext that they wanted to know if there were no drugs in the bag he was carrying.

After failing to find the drugs, the officers are said to have briefly confiscated Simukayi’s bag before returning it back to him and then taking it again in his absence.

It is understood that Simukayi’s bag had a consignment of accessories with a total monetary value of US$ 440.

After what seemed to be a struggle, Simukayi, who was neither fined nor charged as acceptance by the police that he had committed no criminal offence, reclaimed his bag from ZRP Kwekwe Central.

He further alleges that when the bag was returned back to him, some mobile phone pouches and tampered glasses were missing, amounting to a shortfall of US$140.

Since then, Simukayi has been pressing for restitution and, while responding to him in a 29 September letter, Chief Superintendent Maingire said ‘investigations were instituted’ into his complaint.

“The investigations established that there was the taking and returning of your property by police. However, there was an issue of not counting property in return,” Chief Superintendent Maingire wrote.

“Be advised that corrective administrative action is being taken against the concerned police officers to avoid future similar mishaps. You may be called as witnesses….to institute disciplinary action against your suspects,” Chief Sup Maingire said.

In dramatic fashion, the police then cleared its officers in a report which does not have a given date.

“As a result of investigations carried out, an arrest has been made and the accused has been found not guilty and the prosecution was declined due to lack of evidence,” partly reads the report signed by Member-in-Charge for ZRP Kwekwe Central, a one Gwenya.

The lack of transparency in the matter has seen Simukayi taking his matter to the Chief Staff Officer (Internal Investigations).

“Lack of transparency plus lack of accountability is equal to corruption and I learnt that a docket was opened but the investigating officer did not cite the accused persons involved,” he wrote .

“So, I am requesting for legal action to be taken against all the members and officers involved in this scandal because they omitted to book the exhibits and their ambitions were targeted at stealing the property,” Simukayi said.

Zwnews