Police Officer Arrested For Duping Passport Seekers
A Bulawayo-based police officer has been detained for allegedly defrauding desperate passport hopefuls out of US$440 and R600.
Sergeant Prosper Madzokera (36) assigned to the Bulawayo Central Police Station allegedly targeted those seeking passports from outside of Bulawayo.
Madzokera used his ZRP outfit to fool passport hopefuls, telling them that they had to believe him since he was a police officer, according to a source at the Bulawayo registrar’s office.
Madzokera would arrive at the registrar’s offices early in the morning and wait at the entrance for desperate passport hopefuls “mainly those people who would have come from the rural areas.”
One of the victims who identified himself as Dube from Lupane said Madzokera asked him to pay some money for assistance. He told B-Metro:
I arrived at the registrar’s office at around 6.30am last Tuesday and the queue was already long. While I was standing by the gate Madzokera came to me and told me he could assist me by getting my passport processed quickly.
He said that I had to give him US$120 and R200 which he said was for processing. I gave him that amount and he disappeared.
Another victim who also identified himself as Joel from Ascot Extension in Gweru said Madzokera approached him while he was in the queue to submit his passport application forms and said he could quickly process the passport for him.
He then demanded US$130 and R200 which he said was for administration and Joel allegedly gave him.
Madzokera promised to give Joel a receipt after an hour but he never returned prompting the victim to report the matter at Bulawayo Central Police Station.
Another victim who requested not to be named said he paid Madzokera US$130 and R200 which he said accompanied the application.
Madzokera allegedly returned and demanded US$50 which he said was for urgent processing of the passport. The accused never came back.
Madzokera is expected to appear in court soon facing fraud charges.
