Story by Peter Chivhima
THREE individuals, including two Hurungwe Rural District Council officials, have been sentenced to 18 years in prison each for defrauding the council of nearly US$18 000 meant for service delivery.
Hurungwe RDC Engineer, Romeo Mupamaonde, his assistant Alfred Makama, and Anstand Investments Director, Batsirayi Nyamayaro, have each been slapped with an effective 15-year prison term after being convicted of fraud.
The trio was found guilty of diverting funds meant for the construction of the Chehoko Causeway bridge in June 2022.
The remaining three years of their 18-year sentence were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
The court also fined Anstand Investments (Pvt) Ltd US$5 000. Failure to pay the fine will result in the seizure and auctioning of company property by the Sheriff of Zimbabwe.
The trio was arrested in 2023 by officials from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, alongside Hurungwe RDC Chief Executive Officer, Luke Kalavina, who was acquitted on this matter but remains in custody for other pending cases.
