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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter 

The officer-in-charge of Mbare Traffic Police Station was in the habit of demanding $60 per week each from commuter omnibus operators for free passage of their fleet within her policing jurisdiction, the court heard today.

Violet Sigauke (55) was arrested on Thursday following a trap in which she received $60 from a commuter omnibus operator.

She allegedly tried to swallow the trap money.

Sigauke appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube facing charges of criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.

She was remanded to February 27 on $100 bail.

Mr Ncube ordered her to surrender her passport and to reside at her given address pending finalisation of the matter.

Through her lawyer Mr Ashiel Mugiya, Sigauke told the court that four male colleagues who arrested her indecently touched her during a body search.

“The accused was sexually harassed during her arrest. She was arrested by a team of four male detectives,” said Mr Mugiya.

“She was subjected to bodily search with no resemblance to dignity. I will not go into detail of the body parts she was violated. She was traumatised by the conduct.”

The complainant in the matter is a fellow police officer Thomas Mabgwe, who is stationed at Police General Headquarters (PGHQ) in Harare.

Details to follow…