Woman jailed 5 years for $10 diamonds

A 34 year old Mutasa woman has been jailed five years for illegal possession of $10 worth of diamonds.

Abigal Muchesa of Village 10 under Chief Mutasa was convicted on her own plea of guilt by magistrate Tendai Mahwe.

Five years is the minimum mandatory sentence for unlawfully dealing in or possession of precious stones for which she was being charged.

She had no legal representation.

It was the State’s case that she contravened section 3(1) of the Precious Stones Trade Act chapter 21:06 as read with section 3 (2) of the same act.

Prosecuting, Brian Goto alleged that police received information on January 17 that Muchesa was in possession of some diamonds at St Joseph’s Hospital in Chikanga.

Police then assembled a team that intercepted her as she got off a commuter omnibus at Hobhouse rank in the central business district.

She did not resist any search and handed the police a plastic with 20 suspected pieces of diamonds.

Muchesa was subsequently arrested for the crime.

The diamonds were sent to the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe and they weighed only 1,82 carats and valued at $10,47.

She had been out on $100 bail until she was sentenced. DailyNews