10 years for Air Zimbabwe bosses
Two former Air Zimbabwe bosses, Peter Chikumba and Grace Pfumbidzayi, have each been sentenced to 10 years in prison for criminal abuse of office.
Three years were suspended on condition of good behaviour meaning the duo will serve an effective seven years behind bars.
Grace Pfumbidzayi, the national flag carrier’s former company secretary, was the nexus of a US$10 million insurance swindle that “favoured” Navistar Insurance Brokers, a Harare magistrate ruled yesterday as she convicted Pfumbidzayi of criminal abuse of office in a case that is reflective of the rot that had permeated parastatals and State enterprises.
Pfumbidzayi “planned and executed” the fraudulent transactions “in connivance” with the airline’s former CEO, Peter Chikumba, said regional magistrate Ms Fadzai Mthombeni.
Chikumba and Pfumbidzayi, who attended court coming from home, were remanded in custody to today for sentencing -the clearest sign the magistrate was considering a custodial sentence.
“A tougher jail sentence is necessary to send a clear message that public officials should not engage in corruption or bribery activities, when carrying out their duties,” Magistrate Fadzai Mthombeni said in her ruling.
Chikumba and Pfumbidzyi did not immediately say whether they would appeal the sentence.
Zimbabwe has since 2012 been ranked 156 out of 175 on the Transparency International corruption index, which measures perceived levels of public sector corruption.
