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Andile Tshuma, Court Reporter
A FAKE police officer has been arrested for allegedly terrorising tuckshop owners in Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park suburb where he was demanding “fines” from them for operating unlicensed businesses.

Lee Morris Chikupwe preyed on people who run tuck-shops in an area where some places do not have shops nearby.

Chikupwe demanded bribes ranging from $50 to $200, threatening his victims that they would be forced to pay more if taken to court.

His last victim received a tip off that he was not a police officer and reported at Luveve Police Station that he had been forced to pay a bribe.

The fake cop appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Mr Stephen Ndhlovu charged with impersonating a police officer.

He pleaded guilty and told the magistrate that he has always wanted to be a police officer but could not go for training as he did not have the required academic qualifications to be recruited.

He also said he committed the crime as his girlfriend was pestering him saying she wanted to be taken to the new KFC branch that opened recently in Bradfield.

Chikupwe, who was represented by Mr James Dhliwayo of Dhliwayo and Associates Legal Practitioners, said he duped people as he wanted to fend for his family.

The magistrate fined him $100 and said that Chikupwe would be jailed for six months if he fails to pay the fine by August 31.

Magistrate Ndhlovu said criminals were soiling the image of the police by impersonating police officers.

“It is a very bad culture and such criminals deserve to be punished. People cannot just tarnish the image of the Zimbabwe Republic Police willy nilly by pretending to be police officers so as to intimidate people while breaking the law,” said the magistrate.

Prosecuting, Mr Kenneth Shava said last week Chikupwe approached Mr Happymore Moyo (19) who runs a tuckshop and demanded to see his shop licence.

“On August 18, 2017 at around 1PM, the accused person went to the complainant’s tuck shop at Caravan Spaza, Cowdray Park. He identified himself as Constable Moyo, a police officer stationed at Cowdray Park police station,” said Mr Shava.

“The accused person then demanded to see the shop licence. The complainant said he had no shop licence. The accused person demanded a fine of $50. However, the complainant only managed to give him $10.”

Mr Moyo was later informed by some people that Chikupwe was not a cop and he reported the matter at Luveve Police Station.

@andile_tshuma