CHIMANIMANI West MP Lynette Karenyi was yesterday sentenced to four months in prison for holding an unsanctioned meeting last year.
Obey Manayiti
Karenyi, who is also the MDC-T organizing secretary in the women’s league, was, however, spared jail after she was given the option to pay a $200 fine for contravening section 25 (5) of the Public Order and Security Act chapter 11.17.
She was also slapped with a three-month jail term, which was suspended on condition she does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
In passing sentence, magistrate Sekesai Chiundura said Karenyi, as a policymaker, should be exemplary and avoid being caught on the wrong side of the law. Her co-accused, the party’s district chairman Freddy Dziwande, was acquitted at the close of the State case.
Charges against Karenyi were that on November 24 last year at Zimunda village under Chief Muusha in Chimanimani, she unlawfully and intentionally held an unsanctioned political meeting.
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The State submitted that on the day in question and at about 12.30pm, Karenyi held a political meeting which was attended by about 50 people. Following atip-off, Nyanyadzi police moved in to stop the meeting and arrested her.
Karenyi has another pending case at the Supreme Court where she is alleged to have undermined the Office of the President at a campaign rally in her constituency in 2011 by allegedly calling him gay.