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Nokusa Masuku Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO police officer has been arrested for demanding and receiving  a $50 monthly bribe from a preschool director who was operating without a licence.Paradzai Kampiyawo, 35, based at ZRP Nkulumane, allegedly received the money for four months before his victim got fed up and reported him to the police.

Kampiyawo, a court heard, approached Gibson Ngwenya, 39, after he received a tip off that he was running GB Pre-school in Emganwini, without a licence.

The court heard how fellow police officers set a trap for Kampiyawo and arrested him when he showed up to collect his monthly payout.
Kampiyawo appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Temba Chimiso facing two counts of criminal abuse of  office as a public officer.

He pleaded not guilty to both charges.

However, Chimiso found him guilty and sentenced him to a wholly suspended 12 months in prison.

Six months were suspended on condition of good behaviour while the remaining six months were suspended on condition that Kampiyawo performs 310 hours of community service at Mkhithika Primary School in Cowdray Park.

Kampiyawo told the court that he  neither demanded nor accepted a bribe from Ngwenya.

He argued that he was arrested as he collected money that Ngwenya  owed him.

Prosecuting, Tony Kamudyariwa told the court that sometime in March last year, Lwazilwenkosi Ncube from ZRP Nkulumane told Kampiyawo that Ngwenya was operating a pre-school without a licence.

“Kampiyawo approached Ngwenya  and threatened to arrest him if he didn’t pay him a monthly bribe of $50. In July, Ngwenya decided to report Kampiyawo to the police,” said Kamudyariwa.

“Arrangements were made that Kampiyawo collects $50 trap money from Ngwenya as was the norm at Dizzy Busy Butchery in Emganwini. Kampiyawo was immediately arrested when he took the money from Ngwenya.”

Earlier this month, a police officer from ZRP Nkulumane Traffic was arrested after she allegedly demanded a bribe from a kombi owner in order to release his vehicle which she had impounded for failure to comply with police directives.

Sergeant Nomsa Ncube, 45, demanded $80 from Sibangani Sibanda who reported her to Assistant Inspector Samson Pasipamire before handing her the bribe.

A trap was set leading to her arrest.