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Mashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
THE trial of Bulawayo’s CID Fraud Squad boss, George Machinga, who is facing a charge of criminal abuse of office after allegedly soliciting a $300 bribe, continued yesterday with the top policeman claiming he was framed.
On June 19, Machinga is alleged to have ordered Pardon Dube to pay $300 to buy his freedom and $250 to reimburse Cordelia Bachisi, a woman he allegedly duped while masquerading as a lawyer.  He was arrested on June, 20.

He was remanded out of custody to August 25 for continuation of trial.
Through his lawyer, Mlamuli Ncube of Cheda and Partners, Machinga told Bulawayo magistrate Gladmore Mushove that the officers planted the money while he was in the toilet.  He also said it was not procedural for the officers who formed the trap to be part of the arresting team.

“Police officers who searched my client’s office planted the cash in the steel cabinet while he was in toilet and this was after a two hour search,” said Ncube while cross-examining a state witness, Isheunesu Gadzira.

“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.”

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

He also claimed that Chief Superintendant Lesley Tseretse Manik, a superior to Chief Inspector Maxwell Nsingo, who headed the team which conducted the search had a score to settle with him as he once arrested his sister.