THE case in which two detectives allegedly extorted R80€000 from two gold dealers was on
Tuesday postponed to Monday because the defence lawyer did not attend court. Mr David
Mhiribidi, of D W Mhiribidi and Partners is representing Detective Sergeants Moses Taruva and
Godfrey Moyo.
He did not attend court on Tuesday because he was€ reportedly ill.
A partner from the same law firm, Ms Priviledge Mvundla, appeared on his behalf but Western
Commonage magistrate Ms Tancy Dube postponed the matter to Monday, saying Mr Mhiribidi
should be in court.
The State would invite Constable Paul Nyamukanyiwa, whom Det Sgts Taruva and Moyo
allegedly picked up from Luveve Police Station so that he could accompany them to arrest the
complainants.
Another Constable Anthony Chinzvire from Western Commonage Police Station, helped the two
detectives uncuff Mr Jabulani Gwizi and Mr Aleck Zikhali, the complainants.
An Assistant Inspector, M Sibanda from Bulawayo Central Police Station is also expected to
testify how the two detectives went to arrest Mr Gwizi and Mr Zikhali when they were off duty
and from two different postings in the police force.
Det Sgt Taruva of Flat D5 Ross Camp was assigned to Criminal Investigations Department (CID)
Residential while Det Sgt Moyo of Sibet Court at the corner of Jason Moyo Street and 14th
Avenue was attached to CID Theft at Bulawayo Central Police Station.
Det Sgt Taruva (36) and Det Sgt Moyo (38) have pleaded not guilty to extorting the money from
Messrs Gwizi and Zikhali.
Messrs Gwizi and Zikhali testified in court last week and expressed concern that the contents of
their statements in the docket were different from what was recorded when they first reported
the matter.
They revealed this during cross=examination by Mr Mhiribidi, who had told them that his clients
had no gun during the raid and arrest.
It is alleged that the two detectives extorted money from Mr Gwizi and Mr Zikhali after
threatening to arrest them for smuggling gold to South Africa.
The two detectives allegedly told their victims that they were lucky to be alive as they had been
sent to arrest and kill them by the South African Police Service.
The court was told that on 1 September, Det Sgts Taruva and Moyo who were off duty hatched a
plan to extort money from the complainants and drove to Luveve Police Station in a vehicle
driven by Moyo.
They were allegedly armed with a service pistol and phoned Const Nyamukanyiwa who was on
duty at Luveve Police Station.
It is alleged that the two misrepresented to him that they wanted to arrest Mr Gwizi for a series
of unlawful entry cases and they wanted a police officer in uniform to escort them.
When they got to House Number 1016 Emakhandeni, they handcuffed Messrs Gwizi and Zikhali
who they allegedly started assaulting before shoving them into their car.

http://www.chronicle.co.zw/detectives-extortion-case-postponed/