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Faith Mabuto Midlands Reporter
TWO police detectives were yesterday arraigned before Gweru magistrate Mildred Matuvi facing allegations of robbing a street vendor and her boyfriend of more than $1,000.

Detective Constables Fredrick Chiokoyo, 30, and Tafadzwa Siwela, 26, are facing two counts of robbery and assault.

Chiokoyo of Mkoba Village 16 and Siwela of Mkoba Village 14, who are both stationed at Gweru Central Police Station were remanded out of custody to June 3 for trial.

The trial of the pair which was supposed to start yesterday, had to be postponed because the defence lawyer was not feeling well.

State allegations are that on January 25, at around 11AM, the two police officers received information from an unknown person that the complainant, Linda Kavhiza, 25, a street vendor, had received some money from her boyfriend, Maxwell Ntini, a gold panner.

Chiokoyo and Siwela allegedly went to Kavhiza’s place of residence and asked her to come to their vehicle.

Kavhiza sat in the back seat of the police officers’ motor vehicle before they started questioning her about the cash that she had received from her boyfriend, the state alleges.

Kavhiza allegedly told them that she had no idea about what they were talking about.

It was at this stage that the two accused allegedly threatened to shoot her, warning her that they were members of the CID.

Fearing for her life Kavhiza allegedly took the two police officers into her bedroom where they searched the room and discovered $500 in her wardrobe.

Siwela allegedly slapped Kavhiza three times in the face demanding more money and was given $300.

Later that day at around 1:30 PM, the state alleges, the two police detectives went after Ntini and caught up with him at Lower Gweru turn-off where they pulled him out of the car he was travelling in.

Ntini fell to the ground and Siwela allegedly assaulted him with booted feet, kicking him in the stomach. Chiokoyo took Ntini’s belt, tied his hands with it and allegedly took $550 from him.

The two accused took Ntini to Mkoba Village 6 Shopping Centre where they later released him.

Ntini reported the matter to the police leading to the two police detectives’ arrest.

Andrew Marimo is appearing for the state.