25 September 020.
CID director Commissioner Chrispen Charumbira was arrested yesterday on allegations of accepting protection money from drug and gold dealers to stop criminal investigations against them. After the arrest he spent last night at Rhodesville Police Station. He will be produced in the court tomorrow.
Seven of his junior officers alleged he had been interfering with their duties by protecting drug and gold dealers after accepting bundles of US dollars in protection money.
He was arrested by the Special Anti-Corruption Unit.
Three detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics arrested two Mufakose drug dealers, Norman Chabata and his brother Charles, after they found 443g of dagga packed in sachets and bottles of BronCleer cough syrup in their house. Commissioner Charumbira ordered the detectives to release the two. But their immediate superior told them to instead follow the proper procedures and proceed with the investigations. Charumbira called the three detectives and told them that they would be transferred. But the three detectives filed the charges and the court sentenced Charles Chabata to 8 months’ jail and fined Norman Chabata $100.
The three detectives were then transferred out of Harare. After they complained to CID Headquarters they were transferred back to Harare.
A junior officer with his colleagues intercepted a shipment from Malawi and arrested two persons who were taking delivery of the drugs. Charumbira intervened when the two were arrested. The junior officer told SACU that he was transferred from Harare to Hwange.
These incidents led the Anti-corruption agency to arrest Charumbira.
ZBC news reported.
