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and reportedly used them to issue tickets at roadblocks without remitting any of the money to the State.
Sergeant John Magwesere (30) of Cherutombo high-density suburb was yesterday arraigned before Marondera magistrate Mr Milton Serima.
Magwesere is being charged with abuse of duty as a public officer.
The cop’s duties, among others, include traffic enforce-ment and he is expected to use the receipt books when accepting fines.
The fines are then supposed to be remitted to the police station at the end of the shift.
According to prosecutor Ms Molyn Mtamangira-Mavho-ndo, between 11 May 2009 and May 31, 2010 Magwesere requested 35 Z69(j) deposit fine books from Harare Police Printers on five occasions.
The Z69(j) deposit fine books are used for purposes of receipting fines.
It is alleged that Magwesere did not enter any logs in the police station’s general record book to show he had received the 35 books, as per the norm.
Ms Mtamangira-Mavhondo said the 35 books were still missing and no record of them could be found any-where.
She said this raised the possibility that the cop issued fines to unsuspecting motorists and then pocketed the money.
Copies of issue vouchers signed for by Magwesere on obtaining the Z69(j) receipt books from Harare Police Printers will be presented in court as exhibits.
The State yesterday opposed granting the accused bail arguing that other documents needed in the investigations – like the occurrence book and traffic enforcement deployment register – have gone missing and are still to be accounted for.
It is further alleged that the requisition forms used by Magwesere to get the receipt books have not yet been recovered and an audit is being conducted to establish if other Z69(j) books are also missing.
Mr Serima remanded Magwesere in custody to next Monday when he is expected to make a ruling on his bail application.