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Senior Court Reporter 

TWO Harare Municipal police officers landed themselves in the dock after they allegedly extorted US$1 from a 16-year-old barber in Glen View 1, whom they had accused of operating his business at an undesignated place.

Beauty Chipika and Ernest Togarasei appeared before Harare Magistrate Mrs Yeukai Dzuda charged with fraud.

They were not asked to plead to the charges and were remanded to May 30 on $5 000 bail each.

On Wednesday, Chipika and Togarasei went on an unsanctioned duty patrolling Glen View area during an off-day when they approached Raphael Sambasa, who runs a barbershop at Glen View 1 Shopping Centre.

They allegedly told Sambasa that he was operating his barbershop at an undesignated place and risked arrest and then allegedly threatened to confiscate his equipment unless he gave them money.

Sambasa is said to have handed Chipika US$1, which she then passed to Togarasei, who stashed it in his wallet.

The court heard that all this was seen by a Zimbabwe anti-corruption investigating officer, Owen Mutembwa. He asked Sambasa as to what was happening and was told that the two municipal police officers had extorted money from him.

Mutembwa then apprehended the two and recovered the US$1 from Togarasei.

Further searches led to the recovery of US$19 and $100. 

Mutembwa further discovered that the two were not on duty on the day in question.