A Chinhoyi man has been sentenced to five months in prison after he was convicted of impersonating a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) officer at a po...
A Chinhoyi man has been sentenced to five months in prison after he was convicted of impersonating a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) officer at a police roadblock in Gweru. Ashley Chulungu was arrested after Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers stopped his vehicle and he allegedly presented himself as a ZACC officer.
Chulungu was arrested on 29 September 2026 following the incident at the roadblock. The case was later heard at the Gweru Magistrates’ Court, where he faced a charge of impersonating a peace officer under Section 179 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
According to the facts presented in court, police officers had stopped Chulungu’s vehicle for inspection. During the interaction, he allegedly misrepresented himself as an officer working for ZACC, prompting the police to verify the claim with the anti-corruption commission.
The police contacted ZACC to establish whether Chulungu was employed by the commission. ZACC confirmed that he was not one of its officers. Following the confirmation, ZACC officers went to the scene and arrested him.
A search of the vehicle during the arrest led to the discovery of a pair of handcuffs and a Zimbabwe National Anti-Corruption Organisation (ZANACO) identification card. The items formed part of the facts presented to the court in the case. (Bindura Eye)
The court also heard that Chulungu is a member of ZANACO, where he works as an informer. The information was presented as part of the State’s case during the proceedings at the Gweru Magistrates’ Court.
The case was prosecuted by Vivian Chindedza on behalf of the State. Chulungu was convicted on 30 September 2026, a day after his arrest, and was sentenced to five months in prison by Gweru magistrate Arafat Kozanai.
The conviction was for impersonating a peace officer. The charge relates to falsely presenting oneself as a person authorised to exercise the powers or functions associated with an official position. In this case, the court dealt with Chulungu’s claim that he was a ZACC officer during the police roadblock.
The incident involved two law enforcement institutions, with the ZRP officers initially checking Chulungu’s vehicle and then contacting ZACC to establish whether his claimed identity was genuine. The verification established that he was not a ZACC officer, after which ZACC officers attended the scene and arrested him.
The discovery of the handcuffs and ZANACO identification card followed the arrest. The court was also told that Chulungu’s connection to ZANACO was through his work as an informer, rather than employment as a ZACC officer.
The matter was concluded at the Gweru Magistrates’ Court with Chulungu’s conviction and five-month prison sentence. The sentence followed the court’s finding that he was guilty of impersonating a peace officer under the relevant section of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
The case highlights the circumstances surrounding the verification of Chulungu’s claimed ZACC identity at the Gweru roadblock. Rather than accepting the claim, police officers contacted ZACC, which confirmed that he was not part of the commission. ZACC officers then attended the scene and made the arrest.
Chulungu’s case was subsequently brought before the Gweru Magistrates’ Court, where the State presented the facts surrounding the roadblock incident, his alleged impersonation and the items found in his vehicle. The court convicted him on 30 September 2026 and imposed the five-month prison sentence.
The case involved Ashley Chulungu, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, the Zimbabwe National Anti-Corruption Organisation and the Gweru Magistrates’ Court. It was prosecuted by Vivian Chindedza, while magistrate Arafat Kozanai presided over the matter.
For the court proceedings, the key issue was Chulungu’s representation that he was a ZACC officer. The police verification established that he was not employed by ZACC, leading to his arrest and subsequent prosecution for impersonating a peace officer. (Bindura Eye)
