A police officer has been arrested for allegedly interfering with an ongoing armed robbery investigation.
Lawrence Masimba, 35, appeared before Harare magistrate Tapiwa Kuhudzai on Monday, facing charges of obstructing the course of justice. He remains in custody pending a bail ruling expected later this week.
According to the State, on 27 August at around 9:30 pm, ZRP Braeside officers on patrol at Queensdale Shopping Centre in Harare intercepted a silver Nissan NV350 parked near Queensdale Sports Club.
The vehicle was linked to armed robbery suspects who had fled the scene before abandoning it.
Upon searching the vehicle, police recovered several items, including a Taurus revolver, a black pistol, a passport belonging to Crispen Kado, a Nokia mobile phone, and vehicle number plates (AGA 5316).
The recovered items were taken to ZRP Braeside for safekeeping and further investigation.
It is alleged that Masimba later contacted one of the arresting officers, requesting the release of the exhibits without following proper procedures.
Around 3:30 am, he reportedly went to the police station to facilitate the release of the evidence, raising suspicion and leading to his arrest.
