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George Machinga

Mashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
BULAWAYO’S CID Fraud squad boss, George Machinga, accused of soliciting a $300 bribe from a fraud suspect, applied for discharge yesterday at the close of the state’s case.
Machinga through his lawyer, Mlamuli Ncube of Cheda and Partners, made the application arguing that the state had failed to link him to the alleged crime. Ncube said he would submit a written application on August 29.

Bulawayo magistrate Gladmore Mushove set September 12 as the date on which the ruling would be delivered.
Machinga, who pleaded not guilty, last week told the court that arresting police officers planted the money while he was in the toilet.

He also argued that it was not procedural for officers who trapped him to be part of the arresting team.
Machinga was arrested on June 20 this year after a trap was set by a team of police officers following a report by Pardon Dube, at the ZRP Provincial Headquarters in the city.

The officers photocopied bank notes that were to be used by Dube, a trustee and mediator of Khayalami Heritage Community Development Trust, to pay Machinga.

Witnesses told the court that the officers found the banknotes stashed under a picture frame inside a metal filing cabinet in the office, after two and half hours of searching.

Machinga, through his lawyer argued: “Since you did not lock the door or give him the keys when he went to the toilet, I put it to you that one of you planted the $300 in the steel cabinet that had been searched before.

“I put it to you that either you or one of you had reason to do that because you saw (that) your trap was now failing after two hours of searching.”
Machinga claimed that a superior to Chief Inspector Maxwell Nsingo, who headed the team that conducted the search in his office, had a score to settle with him as he had once arrested his sister.

In his evidence, Chief Inspector Nsingo said eight officers conducted the search in Machinga‘s office.
He said during the search, Machinga was uneasy and kept insisting that he wanted to go to the toilet.

The defence lawyer suggested that it was suspicious that the money was only recovered upon Machinga’s return from the toilet, and that after two and half hours of searching a “fairly small” office.

On June 19, 2014, Machinga allegedly ordered Dube to pay $300 “to buy his freedom” determine and $250 to reimburse Cordelia Bachisi, a woman he allegedly duped while masquerading as a lawyer.