Former Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri has had a case of corruption opened against him. Chihuri who was in charge of the police force for more than two decades has been accused of illegally printing his own spot fine books and converting the money for his own use. Some of the money is alleged to have been used to pay off his senior officers. The corruption case which was reported at Kwekwe Central Police Station was made before Chihuri was fired and could see him being arrested for abuse of office and corruption.
The report was made by former police officer Tafadzwa Gambiza. Gambiza was fired from the ZRP for refusing to cast his ballot in front of his superiors. Part of Gambiza’s statement to the police reads:
The accused designed his private national deposit fine schedules illegally usurping the mandate of the Ministry of Justice, instead of issuing motorists with Z69J tickets as prescribed. He used police printers to print own tickets, which was both illegal and corrupt.
The offence of not having red rear reflectors, for instance, is covered by Chapter 13:11 section 37(1) of the Road Traffic Act and was $5 fine, but Chihuri gave an illegal instruction to have his officers charge $20.
Further, Chihuri, through his fake ticket books, violated the law by remitting all spot fines to the director of finance at Police General Headquarters, when this issue of admission of guilt is provided in Chapter 9:07 section 356 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act and the Zimbabwe Republic Police standing orders volume 1.
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