Cop accused of creating transport mafia organisat...

Cop accused of creating transport mafia organisation

Michael Mashiri

A police officer has appeared in court for allegedly creating a protection racket for illegal transport operators through an unregistered association whose members paid him for information that helped them evade police operations.

Shepherd Jaricha, 34, of Warren Park D, appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts accused of abuse of office as a public officer.

The State, through prosecutor Zebediah Bofu, alleges that in October 2023, the Zimbabwe Republic Police officer formed a commuter omnibus operators’ association named K R JARICHA, which facilitated the operation of commuter omnibuses without requisite documents and requirements in terms of the Road Traffic Act and the Road Motor Transportation Act.

The commuter omnibuses were plying several routes in and around Harare.

Jaricha, would provide information on police traffic operations to members of his association as a way of defeating the efforts of the police in bringing sanity to the roads.

The State alleges that this was contrary to his duties as a public officer.

He allegedly managed the private voluntary organisation knowing that the organisation sought financial assistance from members of the association while the association was allegedly not registered.

He was ordered to deposit US$100 as bail and will appear in court on December 11 for routine remand.