Henry Moyo, one of two men from Lupane facing charges of attempting to bribe the Lupane prosecutor-in-charge, Sanders Sibanda, was on Friday convicted while his alleged accomplice was acquitted for lack of evidence.
The State case was that the pair tried to bribe Sibanda to conceal a charge of impregnating a 16-year-old girl one of them was facing.
Henry Moyo and Ntokozo Moyo, both aged 34, had pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery when they appeared before Lupane resident magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba.
Henry was convicted of the charge after the State established mounting mitigatory factors against him. The two reportedly tried to bribe Sibanda on March 24 this year.
They asked the prosecutor to intercept and destroy a docket charging Ntokozo of having committed a sexual offence with an underage girl.
On March 28, the two travelled to Lupane and on arrival, Henry called Sibanda on his telephone and invited him for lunch at Lupane Business Centre. But, Sibanda reportedly turned down the offer.
Henry again called Sibanda requesting to meet him at Country Side Bar in Lupane after working hours at 5pm for a discussion. This time, Sibanda obliged and met the pair.
Henry briefed Sibanda about Ntokozo’s case and told him they had been referred to him by a policeman at Jotsholo Police Station.
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The two claimed the policeman had advised them to offer something to Sibanda for Ntokozo’s case to be thrown out. They also reportedly promised to give him an unspecified gift.
Realising that the two were determined to bribe him, Sibanda reported the matter to the police, leading to their arrest.
Tawanda Tsatsa prosecuted.
