Chipinge West MP Sibonile Nyamudeza (MDC-T) has been sentenced to 30 days in prison or alternatively pay a $300 fine for stealing pre-cast pipes worth more than $3 000 from the District Development Fund (DDF).
Nyamudeza was convicted on the theft charge when he appeared before Chipinge magistrate Vuso Gapara on Monday.
The court heard sometime in February last year, Nyamudeza stole or used without permission seven precast pipes belonging to DDF when he constructed a 15km road in his area.
Though he had pleaded not guilty to the theft charge, the State proved that Nyamudeza used the pipes without permission.
According to witnesses who testified during the trial, the precast pipes had been lying idle in the area for a long time though they were meant to repair the Tanganda-Bangwe link road in Chipinge.
Nyamudeza’s conviction comes at a time the Anti-Corruption Commission has intensified its crackdown on errant MPs who abused their Constituency Development Fund allocations.
To date, four MPs have been arrested and charged for failing to account for the $50 000 each received for development projects.
Soon after his sentencing, Nyamudeza indicated he would appeal the court ruling.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“We are going to appeal against the conviction because there are no merits to warrant a theft case against my client,” his lawyer Langton Mhungu told NewsDay.
Last Goredema prosecuted.
