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Prosper Dembedza

Herald Correspondent

A 39-YEAR-OLD man from Harare on Friday appeared in court on allegations of forging a Police General Headquarters dispatch office date stamp to claim a car which he had lost in a court case.

Tapiwa Moses Maswela was facing fraud charges when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Ruth Moyo.

Allegations are that in February 2021, Maswela filed a criminal case against Bernard Guveya for unlawful borrowing or use of property (a motor vehicle) under Hatfield CR: 38/02/21.

The matter was later referred to Harare Magistrate Court where Guveya was found not guilty and acquitted prompting Hatfield Police to release the vehicle which was kept as an exhibit to Guveya.

The court heard that on June 17, 2022, Maswela hatched a plan to claim rights to the motor vehicle which he knew had been released to Guveya by police.

According to the State, Maswela used a forged Zimbabwe Republic Police General Headquarters Dispatch Office date stamp in stamping a Court application purporting as if he had served the Commissioner General of Police whom he cited as the first respondent.

He inscribed Constable Mupakaviri as the recipient of the court application.

The court heard that Maswela then submitted a certificate of service to the High Court purporting as if he had served the Commissioner General of Police.

On July 6, 2022, Justice Webster Chinamora of the High Court of Zimbabwe in Harare passed a verdict in default of the Commissioner General of Police and in favour of Maswela.

It is alleged that Justice Chinamora made an Order that the Commissioner General of Police release a Mercedes Benz E280 registration number AEC 1840 to Maswela.

The matter came to light on July 7, 2022 when the Commissioner General of Police received an order which prompted an enquiry to be instituted on how the determination was passed in default.

Investigations revealed that the accused never served the police on June 17, 2022 as there were no entries in relevant books to support his visit to Police General Headquarters.

Due to Maswela’s action, the Commissioner General of Police suffered prejudice in the good administration of his functions.