A warrant of arrest has been issued against one of the two men who attempted to bribe a Lupane senior prosecutor after he absconded the sentence hearing on Wednesday.
Ntokozo Moyo, against whom the arrest warrant has been issued, was convicted for the crime last Friday together with his co-accused, Henry Moyo and had been remanded out of custody until Wednesday for sentence.
Due to Ntokozo’s absence, the case was further remanded to June 28 for sentence.
Henry and Ntokozo got themselves in trouble after trying to bribe a senior prosecutor in charge of Lupane court, Sanders Sibanda, to conceal charges of impregnating a 16-year-old girl that one of them was facing.
The pair pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery when they appeared before Lupane resident magistrate Gwazemba.
The magistrate convicted both of them on Friday last week.
The two tried to bribe Sibanda on March 24 this year. They asked him to destroy the docket charging Ntokozo of having sexual intercourse with a minor.
Ntokozo allegedly impregnated his neighbour’s daughter aged 16 years. The girl’s mother reported the matter to Jotsholo Police Station.
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The woman is alleged to have demanded an unstated huge payment from Ntokozo as damages.
On March 24, Ntokozo met Henry at Silomusa Bottle Store in Jotsholo after he heard the case had been reported to police.
They hatched a plan to approach Sibanda to bribe him so that he could destroy documents bearing Ntokozo’s charge.
On March 28, the two travelled to Lupane and on arrival, Henry phoned Sibanda asking him to meet them at Lupane Business Centre for lunch. Sibanda refused the offer.
Henry phoned Sibanda again requesting to meet him at Country Side Bar in Lupane after working hours at 5pm for a discussion. Sibanda went to the venue where he met the two.
Henry briefed Sibanda about Ntokozo’s case and told him they were referred to him by a police Assistant Inspector Moyo at Jotsholo Police Station.
The two claimed Moyo advised them to offer “something” to Sibanda so that Ntokozo’s crime could be thrown away.
They told Sibanda the mother of the girl who was impregnated by Ntokozo demanded a lot of money as damages. They asked him to conceal the crime and promised to offer him an unspecified gift.
Realising the two were determined to bribe him, Sibanda reported the matter to the police, leading to the pair’s arrest.
Tawanda Tsatsa represented the State.
