CRIMINAL Investigations Department (CID) Bulawayo fraud section boss Chief Detective Inspector George Machinga, says his decision to go to the toilet while his office was being searched could have landed him in trouble, as his colleagues took the opportunity to plant money that was used in trapping him. SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
Machinga (44), facing allegations of demanding a $550 bribe and collecting $300 from Pardon Dube who faced charges of masquerading as a lawyer, claimed his colleagues were out to fix him, leading to them planting the evidence.
The top police officer told Bulawayo magistrate Gladmore Mushove that previous attempts to search his desk had drawn a blank, only for the money to be found after he had gone to relieve himself.
His remarks come after Mushove recently dismissed Machinga’s application for discharge and placed him on his defence.
The top detective, represented by Mlamuli Ncube, yesterday told the court that detectives had searched his desk for more than two hours, but did not find the money. He said experts were called in to unlock some cabinets in search of the money, but they did not find anything.
“This was after they ransacked the small office and did not find any money,” Machinga said.
“They only claimed to have found the money when I came back from the toilet and they found that money in a drawer which was not even locked when they searched.
“It is clear that they planted the money when I had gone to the toilet, as I had left some of them behind.”
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The magistrate remanded the case to October 14 for continuation.
According to the State’s case, on June 19, Dube was summoned by a Detective Sergeant Ncube to the CID fraud section on allegations of fraud. He allegedly approached Machinga seeking clarification on the matter and was advised to look for $550.
Machinga allegedly indicated $300 would be used to buy Dube’s freedom and $250 to refund the alleged victim of the fraud, Cordellia Bhachisi. On June 20, Dube allegedly sought the help of police commanders and $300 was used to trap Machinga.
The State said some notes with distinctive figures were part of the $300 which Dube was given to hand to Machinga as part of the trap.
On June 20 at around 2:20pm, Dube gave Machinga the money at the CID fraud offices and his ID, which was held as surety, was returned to him.
On his way out, Dube alerted a Chief Inspector Maxwell 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.
