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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent

TWO police officers have appeared in court on allegations of enforcing a fake roadblock in the Harare central business district while extorting motorists.

Salim Afiki (24) and Mike Clifton Rubatika were facing criminal abuse of duty charges when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi.

They were freed on $5 000 bail each.

The court heard that on August 25 information was recieved at Police General Headquarters Internal Investigations to the effect that there were police members enforcing traffic in Harare CBD clad in civilian attire using spikes and a privately- owned vehicle. The duo was said to be extorting money from various motorists contrary to their duties as public officers.

The court heard that police officers carried out surveillance in the CBD on that same day along Robson Manyika near Simon Muzenda Bus Ternimus where they observed the duo and their accomplices still at large  aboard a private vehicle.

It is the State’s case that one of the accused persons disembarked from the car and placed a spike under a Toyota Hiace and they both boarded the blocked commuter omnibus.

The court heard that one of the police officers approached the accused persons and two of them fled from the scene but Afiki and Rubatika were arrested.