Zimbabwe Police: Duo to Appear in Court Over Barbourfields Stadium Ticket Scam

Highlanders fans queue to enter Barbourfields Stadium in this file picture Lovemore Dube, lovemore.dube@chronicle.co.zw A security guard and cashier on Gate 23 of Barbourfields Stadium were caught in an alleged recycling of tickets scam during the Chibuku Super Cup first round tie between Chicken Inn and Highlanders on Sunday. The case was reported to Barbourfields Police Station and the duo is expected to appear in court this morning. Rodwell Thabe, the Premier Soccer League chief executive officer confirmed the incident yesterday, Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn "I can confirm that during the Chibuku Super Cup between Highlanders and Chicken Inn FC, our alert PSL officials and chief cashiers who while conducting standard supervisory checks at Gate 23, apprehended a security officer who was the ticket checker and a part time PSL cashier who is also employed at a bank who were acting in a manner not consistent with their duties and expected conduct. "Upon conducting further searches and stock verification procedures with the assistance of the ZRP, the pair was handed over to the police and placed on record for suspected ticket recycling and misappropriation of funds," said Thabe. Thabe said the two were still in custody yesterday afternoon. "The two suspects are still in police custody assisting the ZRP with investigations," said Thabe who commended PSL and club officials for their vigilance as the PSL continues to fight thefts at the turnstiles which is reportedly bleeding big clubs like Dynamos and Highlanders. "Ours is a commitment to proper procedures and dedication to maintaining integrity and order within the game," said Thabe. According to investigations by Zimpapers Sports Hub, an alarm was raised when Gate 23 was suddenly closed with the numbers swelling outside the stadium with Highlanders' security officer Opar Mpofu and chief cashiers seen talking to those that were manning the turnstile. Police were immediately advised and the pair was taken to Barbourfields Police Station. The cashier was allegedly caught with tickets that appeared suspicious. When asked over the anomaly, he could not give a satisfactory answer and the sequence numbers of the tickets were not tallying. The cashier was found with US$120 yet he had declared US$2 when he started work. When the security officer was searched, he was found with US$179 and had not made any declaration when he started work. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Highlanders' acting chairman Kindman Ndlovu said the matter was in the hands of the police and Premier Soccer League. Chicken Inn spokesperson Brighton Ncube referred Zimpapers Sports Hub to the PSL. "The matter is with the PSL, kindly check with them since they are the event managers," said Ncube. Read the original article on The Herald . AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nair