Chihuri ‘diverts’ fines, govt loses

In the past, the ZRP submitted money it raised from fines to the government through the Clerk of Court, who also received all original copies of Admission of Guilt forms, also known as the Z69J.

However, senior and junior members of the ZRP provided evidence to The Zimbabwean this week that Chihuri had changed the system and all revenue from fines was now being administered by the Police General Headquarters in Harare.

“Chihuri continues to treat the ZRP like his private property,” said a Bulawayo-based inspector.

“He has used his Zanu (PF) influence to do as he pleases and nobody has lifted a finger. The fines money, instead of helping the whole ZRP, let alone the government, is now being used to finance luxury vehicles for senior police officers, most of whom were promoted on their past history as war veterans and Zanu (PF) apologists like him.”

Formerly, the original Z69J form, (white in colour) went to the Clerk of Court, with all money collected.

The duplicate (green) to the person admitting guilt, the triplicate (pink) went to the station issuing the ticket and the fourth copy remained in the book for auditing purposes.

However, the new system, said to have come into effect at the start of the Government of National Unity, is that the original goes to the ZRP Director of Finance – Chihuri’s PGHQ-based subordinate.

The duplicate still goes to the guilty party, the triplicate to the ZRP’s national traffic department, while the fourth still remains in the book.

“According to section 22.8 of the ZRP standing orders volume 1, which have not been amended, Chihuri is breaking the law because the Z69J book must be disposed of in the prescribed manner,” said the inspector. “There is no provision for this fake Z69J being used now. Like all official documents, it should be issued from Government Printers, but this one is printed at the police printers and not submitted for proper audit. This has given the Commissioner a leeway to do as he pleases.”

ZRP spokesperson, Charity Charamba, refused to comment on the matter. A superintendent, who also refused to be named, accused Chihuri of using the laxity in government monitoring of police activities to fund-raise using the ZRP. “He has completely turned the traffic department into a money-making factory for him and his close associates. By the time they leave the force, they will be filthy rich because they do as they please,” he said. Junior officers who man roadblocks revealed that they were being given a daily target of $400 per roadblock site per shift. Those who do not meet their target risk punishment, so they are forced to come up with ridiculous charges for drivers. “The money is receipted using the new Z69J and later on deposited into the CBZ account of the Director of Finance, who is stationed at the PGHQ,” said the traffic officer. “The money is no longer going to the Treasury. This is the reason why we say that before the ZRP can start its proposed lifestyle audits for junior officers, the director of finance must be audited first and the Commissioner General must be charged.” The junior officers complained that they lived in abject poverty and worked under poor conditions, with few service vehicles and tattered uniforms, while making “so much money” for their superiors.

“A lot of money is being made, but where is it going? Proper auditing needs to be done – but since Chihuri is above the law, nothing is happening,” said another policeman. The scandal-prone ZRP boss has previously been accused of having integrated civilian personnel, most of them under-qualified graduates from the National Youth Training Service, into the ZRP without any police training. He has also allegedly promoted some of them to the rank of sergeant and assistant inspector, on the government payroll.

In 2009, Chihuri allegedly instructed his subordinates to deny government auditors access to police records, in a bid to hide the glaring loopholes that exist in the ZRP. The inclusive government had, at the instigation of the Public Service Ministry, embarked on an audit of the civil service in a bid to rid the system of massive corruption.