Senior cop’s trial delayed

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THE trial of a senior Bulawayo police officer who allegedly forged signatures and force numbers of his colleagues to clear a convict performing community service duties was postponed on Tuesday as his lawyer was not available.

THE trial of a senior Bulawayo police officer who allegedly forged signatures and force numbers of his colleagues to clear a convict performing community service duties was postponed on Tuesday as his lawyer was not available.

BY SILAS NKALA

Inspector Charles Mupatsi (52), now based at Donnington Police Station, is being charged with criminal abuse of authority as a public officer.

He is alleged to have forged signatures of other police officers on the timesheet of Philani Ndlovu who initially served part of his community service at Mandwandwe Secondary School before being moved to complete his duties at Nkulumane Police Station. The matter was remanded to June 18.

Last week, Constable Thabani Masuku told the court that Mupatsi was a senior police officer who at one time would act as the station’s officer-in-charge.

Masuku is one of the police officers whose signatures and force numbers were allegedly used by Mupatsi on the timesheet.

He denied ever signing any timesheet and ever interacting with convicts serving community service.

He said he was interviewed by one Inspector Sibanda, an officer-in-charge of Pumula, and Superintendent Matshilani saying they wanted to find out if he ever supervised Ndlovu or signed on the timesheet.

He, however, denied ever seeing Ndlovu among those who served community service at Nkulumane Police Station.

But Mupatsi’s lawyer Liberty Mcijo, during cross examination, told Masuku that he was lying in court because he had been threatened by his seniors that he would lose his job if he told the truth.

He denied ever being threatened by anyone or ever signing any timesheet.