CRIMINAL Investigations Department (CID) Bulawayo fraud section boss Chief Detective Inspector George Machinga who was facing extortion charges after allegedly accepting a $300 bribe has been acquitted.
Machinga, 44, was arrested early this year for allegedly demanding $300 from Pardon Dube who had been arrested for masquerading as a lawyer.
In her judgment yesterday, Bulawayo magistrate Gladmore Mushove said the state had failed to avail sufficient evidence to prove that Machinga indeed demanded a bribe.
“The state witnesses gave contradicting testimonies which makes it difficult for the court to know what to believe. It’s clear that when Machinga left his office for the toilet he left his door unlocked and anything could have happened before he got back,” said Mushove.
She said detectives who searched Machinga’s office could have planted the $300 which was immediately ‘found’ after he got back from the toilet.
“The court therefore finds you not guilty of extortion,” said the magistrate.
The state had alleged that on June 19 this year, Dube received a call from Detective Sergeant Ncube to come to their offices on allegations of fraud.
“On the same day, Dube proceeded to Frauds Section but did not look for Sergeant Ncube but instead went to Machinga’s office to seek clarification on the matter. Machinga told Dube that Sergeant Ncube was ready to arrest him but he had discouraged him from doing so,” the state had alleged.
The court heard that Machinga told Dube that he had to look for $550 of which $300 was for buying his freedom and $250 to refund Cardelai Bhatshisi, the woman who had reported him (Dube) for fraud. Machinga then took Dube’s plastic identity card as surety that he would come back with the money.
“The following day, Dube went around looking for $300 but felt the demand was too much and approached police commanders at ZRP Provincial Headquarters (Ross Camp) where a plan to trap the accused was hatched. An authority to set a trap on Machinga was granted and Dube’s notes amounting $300 were photocopied before he took them to Machinga as bribe for his freedom,” the state had further stated. chronicle
On the same day at around 14:20PM, Dube proceeded to Machinga’s office at CID Frauds Section where he handed him $300 and was given his identity card and left.
Matanga told the court that on his way out, Dube alerted Chief Inspector Nsingo who rushed to Machinga’s office and conducted a search on him and his office.
After a thorough search, the denominations which had been photocopied and serial numbers recorded were discovered hidden inside a steel cabinet under a picture frame.
The team of police details then cross checked the denominations they had against the ones they had photocopied and they matched. Machinga was immediately arrested and detained at Donnington Police Station.
He was represented by his lawyer Mlamuli Ncube of Cheda and Partners and was granted $50 bail on June 23.
Throughout his trial, Machinga maintained his innocence, saying he had been framed as the money was planted in his office when he had gone to the toilet. – State Media