Chihuri not doing enough to curb police corruption

via Chihuri not doing enough to curb police corruption | SW Radio Africa by Alex Bell  November 20, 2013 

Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri should do more to curb corruption in the force than to transfer officers fingered in graft to remote posts, a senior MDC-T official said on Wednesday.

Senator Lilian Timveos, the shadow Minister for Home Affairs said the police should be carrying out thorough investigations of corruption within the force, with the aim to prosecute the offenders.

Timveos told SW Radio Africa that asking senior police officers, linked to criminal activities and corruption, to resign from the force was not enough. She said such officers must be brought before the courts to answer for their ‘evil deeds.’

“What guarantees are there that those that have been forced to resign will not continue with their malpractices in civilian clothes and with impunity because they still have control over their junior officers still in the ZRP,” Timveos asked.

She added: “I’m surprised many of the other officers are being transferred from Harare to other stations far away from the capital. What Chihuri is doing is apparently transferring corruption to those areas.”

Last month, despite spirited efforts by the authorities to sweep the case under the carpet, the police eventually confirmed taking disciplinary measures against ex-Senior Assistant Commissioner Oliver Chibage and other senior cops implicated in corruption deals.

Most of the top police officers were using Chihuri’s name for the corrupt activities, while Chibage was accused by a Harare couple of abusing his powers and harassing them in what they alleged was a relentless drive to illegally seize their investments.