THE Bulawayo Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Fraud Section officer-in-charge George Machinga (44) yesterday appeared before Bulawayo senior magistrate Sibongile Msipa facing a fraud charge. STAFF REPORTER
Machinga, who was represented by Mlamuli Ncube, denied the charge and Msipa remanded him out of custody to July 4.
Prosecutor Tafadzwa Mutsambiwa told the court that on June 19, the complainant Pardon Dube (38) of Harrisvale in Bulawayo, was called by a Detective Sergeant Ncube to the CID fraud office on allegations of fraud.
Dube was alleged to have masqueraded as a lawyer.
He went to the CID offices where he allegedly approached Machinga to seek clarification on the matter. It was the State’s case that Machinga told him that Ncube was ready to arrest him, but he had instructed him not to.
Machinga allegedly advised Dube to look for $550, which he allegedly said would be divided into $300 for buying his freedom and $250 for refunding one Cordellia Bhachisi, a “client” he had once dealt with.
Machinga then allegedly took Dube’s plastic national identity card as surety that he would return. On June 20, Dube looked for $300, but then felt that the demand by Machinga was unlawful.
He then sought the help of a police commander at police headquarters and a plan was hatched to trap Machinga.
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The State said some notes with distinctive figures were used in the $300 which Dube was given to hand to Machinga as part of the trap. On June 20 at around 2.20pm, Dube went to give Machinga the money at the CID fraud offices and his ID was returned to him.
On his way out, Dube alerted a Chief Inspector Nsingo and his team who rushed to Machinga’s office and conducted a search.
After a thorough search, the money with distinctive features was allegedly recovered from him, leading to his arrest.
