H- Metro Reporter
AN interpreter at the Harare Magistrates’ Court has been accused of demanding money from a litigant to secure more time to settle an order to restitute money.
Aaron Chikuni was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa.
The State said in July, Patricia Ruzawe was convicted by magistrate Caroline Tafadzwa Matanga of theft of trust property.
She was sentenced to 12 months wholly suspended on condition that she paid back US$5 000 to Hudson Zhanda by November 3.
She was also handed a 210-hour community service sentence at Adens Primary School.
Ruzawe applied to pay the US$5 000 in the form of 20 goats and the court granted her request.
She managed to pay Zhanda 9 goats by November 3.
On November 6 she approached the court and made an application for an extension of the restitution period and the court deferred the case to November 7 for ruling.
Chikuni allegedly told Ruzawe that her application for an extension of time to pay the restitution was not going to be granted unless she paid a sum of US$200 demanded by magistrate Matanga.
Ruzawe pretended to agree to the arrangement and promised to pay the demanded amount.
Upon leaving the court, Ruzawe reported the incident to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and arranged a trap, which led to Chikuni’s arrest.