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A freelance reporter based in the small farming town of Mvurwi in Mashonaland Central was Thursday dragged to Harare magistrate court for extorting US$400. 00 from WestProp, a private property and land developing company based in Harare.
Simbarashe Sithole (34) who writes for online publication Byo24 appeared before provincial magistrate Marovanazvo Gofa on Thursday who remanded him to June 8 for trial after freeing him on ZWL$50 000 bail.
State prosecutors alleged that on April 3, Sithole authored and made a news article be published alleging that WestProp was misleading investors in its bid to list on the stock exchange; a statement they felt was malicious and untrue.
On April 6 WestProp Holdings (Pvt) Ltd assigned its Public Relations manager, Michael Chideme to look into the article because the reporter had not contacted them for a comment.
Chideme went on to meet Sithole at Pariah State Bar along Second Street Extension in Harare where he indicated that he could have the offending article removed from the Byo24 website before laying out some monetary conditions without specifying the amount.
It is alleged that on the same date, Chideme appraised his employers about the conditions that Sithole had given him for the article to be taken down.
On April 11, Chideme went and met Sithole at Total Service Station opposite the Harare Agricultural Show Grounds, along Samora Machel Avenue.
Sithole reportedly reiterated his willingness to remove the article from the website, but this time, he explicitly stated that he wanted US$400.
He further stated that he had another article that he was on the verge of posting for publication, but was amenable to abort on condition that they pay another undisclosed figure.
Chideme updated his employers about Sithole’s demands, who in turn resolved to report the matter to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission on the very day.
On April 12, a trap was set after approval from ZACC, using four marked US$100 denominations. He was arrested soon after receiving the trap money. Nhau/Indaba
