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Tollgate ticket scandal:Zimra official convicted

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A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) official, Victor Nyathi, who had been accused of stealing 25 000 tollgate tickets worth almost $1,7 million, was yesterday absolved of the more serious charge, but convicted of stealing only 17 ticket books. Regional magistrate Clever Tsikwa ruled the State had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Nyathi was […]

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) official, Victor Nyathi, who had been accused of stealing 25 000 tollgate tickets worth almost $1,7 million, was yesterday absolved of the more serious charge, but convicted of stealing only 17 ticket books.

Regional magistrate Clever Tsikwa ruled the State had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Nyathi was involved in the main theft of tollgate ticket books.

“The State failed to provide serial numbers of the stolen ticket books in a case where a large sum of money was involved,” the court said.

“This was not theft of exercise books or buns, but of important tollgate ticket books,” he said, while accusing the State of taking what he termed a “gunshot approach” for not providing the court with relevant serial numbers of stolen books.

The magistrate further said the State had also wronged in expressing potential prejudice in monetary value as was the case in this matter because there was no money that was involved in the case except reference being made to the ticket books.

He said the State only managed to prove that Nyathi stole the recovered 17 ticket books since he was the sole custodian of the keys where the ticket books were kept.

Nyathi will be sentenced on Friday following an application by his lawyer, Emmanuel Nyambuya, to prepare submissions in mitigation before sentence.

But, his acquittal on a charge of stealing ticket books worth $1 695 750 came as a relief for he is likely to receive a lesser sentence than previously anticipated by the State.

Nyathi was believed to be the brains behind the tollgate ticket scandal and was arrested with Memory Martin in November last year, but were now being tried separately at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts.