The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa : Weekender Correspondent
A DOMBOSHAVA man who masqueraded as a Zimbabwe Republic Police officer at Forbes Border Post was ordered to pay $200 fine after he was convicted of the offence.Paidamoyo Gosho (40) of Mungate Village, Chief Chinembiri, Domboshava was convicted on his own guilty plea for contravening Section 179 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23 when he appeared in court earlier this week.
Presiding over the matter was senior Mutare magistrate, Mr Langton Mukwengi, while Mr Fletcher Karombe prosecuted.
He was sentenced to three months imprisonment which were wholly suspended on condition that he pays $200 optional fine.
Mr Karombe said Adelaide Mhinda, an Immigration Officer was on duty at Forbes Border Post on July 13, 2016 where she was examining and stamping passports of travellers when Gosho approached her.
Gosho arrived with the intention of crossing into Mozambique and after inspecting his passport, Mhinda noticed that sometime last year Gosho had travelled to South Africa, but did not have his passport stamped upon his return.
This meant that Gosho had entered into Zimbabwe through an undesignated port of entry, thereby committing the crime of entry by invasion.
“In trying to get leniency from the immigration officer, Gosho told Mhinda that he was a member of the Zimbabwe Republic Police and produced a ZRP identification card in his name,” stated Mr Karombe.
Mhinda handed over Gosho to the police officers who were stationed at Forbes Border Post where it was established that he was no longer a serving member of the police force.
Responding to the allegations, Gosho asked for forgiveness from the court and said he had acted in the manner that he did out of ignorance.
Asked on why he had not surrendered the ZRP identification card when he resigned from the police force, he claimed that he did not know that one had to surrender such documents.
