A POLICE constable based at the Pumula Police Station in Bulawayo is in trouble for allegedly demanding a bribe from a motorist in the central business district.
SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
Windas Mudenda (31) of Old Pumula denied the charge of extortion when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Nyasha Kuture yesterday.
Prosecutor Tarisai Mutarisi called State witness Belden Mathuthu, the victim of the alleged extortion, who told the court that Mudenda was being referred to as a sergeant by his colleague, who is still at large, on that particular day.
Mathuthu said Mudenda’s colleague approached him, took his driver’s licence and asked for $20 to get it back.
Mathuthu said he spent about 10 minutes asking Mudenda to tell his subordinate to return his licence, but to no avail.
“You did not take my licence, but the officer you were with took it and we are saying you are the only one to show or tell us who he is,” said Mathuthu.
He said after the arrest of Mudenda and other officers whose pictures were published in a local daily for extortion, he was called to the police station where he managed to identify Mudenda as one of the people who had demanded a $20 bribe from him together with his colleague.
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The matter was remanded for continuation as complainants were said to be still approaching the State claiming that Mudenda had extorted money from them.
The court heard that on May 29 and at around 6pm, Mudenda connived with two accomplices that were wearing police uniforms and approached Mathuthu who had parked his Nissan Cabal truck at Bulawayo Service Station at the corner of Joshua N Nkomo Street and 5th Avenue.
Mudenda allegedly informed Mathuthu that he was under arrest for dangerously parking his vehicle. They advised him that he would be detained at the Bulawayo Central Police Station and demanded his driver’s licence.
Mudenda allegedly advised Mathuthu that he would have to part with $20 for him to avoid detention.
Mathuthu did not give them any money and they went away with his driver’s licence. Mathuthu then reported the matter at the Bulawayo Central Police Station.
On July 18, Mathuthu learnt that some cops and robbers had been arrested for extortion and when he bought the newspaper, he immediately identified Mudenda in the pictures.
He was called to the police station on July 30 where he positively identified Mudenda as one of the cops that took his licence and demanded money.
