A policeman has appeared in court in Zimbabwe facing charges of soliciting a bribe from an unlicensed driver, who did not have a COVID-19 exemption letter.
According to the state-controlled Herald newspaper, Broadway Jongwe appeared before Harare magistrate, Vongai Muchuchuti Guwuriro, and was denied bail on suspicion that he is likely to abscond and interfere with witnesses.
He was caught red-handed by some members of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Unit while attempting to collect his “gift” from the driver, whose national identity card and two cellphones worth US$45 were in possession of the policeman.
Jongwe allegedly used the national identity card and mobile phones as surety for the “gift” or consideration for the solicited bribe.
Zimbabweans are required under the country’s lockdown restrictive measures to get an exemption letter if they wish to travel in cities and rural areas. The country is under level four COVID-19 lockdown.
Meanwhile, President Emmerson Mnangagwa is on Monday expected to announce new COVID-19 lockdown measures amid of declining cases of coronavirus in the country.
No person died of the disease on Saturday and 31 tested positive for COVID-19.
The Ministry of Health reports that as at February 28, 2021, Zimbabwe had 36,089 confirmed cases, 32,666 recoveries and 1,463 deaths.