By Panashe Divine Karidzagundi
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has dismissed false recent social media claims by the Southern African Regional Anti-Corruption Organisation (SARACO) alleging that the two institutions jointly carried out a sting operation that led to the arrest of five police officers for corruption.
In a statement issued on Monday, the ZRP said SARACO’s claims, which circulated widely on social media, were untrue and misleading, insisting that no collaboration existed between the police and the organisation.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police dismisses claims by the Southern African Regional Anti-Corruption Organisation (SARACO)… alleging that they worked together with the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Internal Investigations Section to conduct a sting operation,” the statement read.
The police said that the organisation has no recognised standing in Zimbabwe’s anti-corruption framework and that any legitimate anti-corruption entity must be cleared by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) in line with national laws.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police has no association or cooperating arrangement with the Southern African Regional Anti-Corruption Organisation,” the ZRP said, reaffirming its position that only bodies formally constituted under Zimbabwean law can engage in anti-corruption operations.
According to the statement, the arrests in question were carried out solely by the ZRP without any involvement from SARACO.
“For the record, the Zimbabwe Republic Police effected the purported arrest without the involvement of the Southern African Regional Anti-Corruption Organisation,” the police said.
The ZRP also warned that any private arrangements or unauthorised associations between individual officers and outside groups will be dealt with firmly.
“Any private arrangement or association… not sanctioned by the Commissioner General of Police will be dealt with in terms of the law without fear or favour,” the statement read.