FORMER Air Zimbabwe secretary Grace Pfumbidzayi was on Wednesday denied bail pending appeal by a Harare court which ruled that there was hig...
FORMER Air Zimbabwe secretary Grace Pfumbidzayi was on Wednesday denied bail pending appeal by a Harare court which ruled that there was high risk she would abscond.
Pfumbidzayi was, earlier this month, found guilty of defrauding the airliner of close to $10 million.
She together with former chief executive Peter Chikumba were sentenced to an effective seven years imprisonment for criminal abuse of office.
But Pfumbidzayi appealed against both conviction and sentence last week
However, magistrate Fadzai Mthombeni dismissed the bail bid adding that there were no prospects of the appeal succeeding.
“In a case of this nature, the court considers if the convicted will serve her sentence if granted bail which is unlikely to happen in this case; her appeal is hopeless and the application is dismissed,” she said.
Pfumbidzayi had stated that she was ready to pay $10,000 bail deposit.
However, the state on Monday opposed her application and described Pfumbidzayi as a “very cunning woman” who could do whatever it takes to achieve her goals.
Public prosecutor Daniel Muchimbiri said Pfumbidzai said it was improper to allow people convicted of serious offence to roam in the streets adding that there were prospects that she would flee when released as she was connected abroad.
“Your worship applicant is very cunning and very calculative and can do whatever it takes to achieve her objective as evidenced by her shedding crocodile tears in court.
“She is also facing another fraud charge as recommended by the auditor and that matter is coming to the courts and she is aware that is an incentive for her to abscond. The matter is now coming as a way of summons,” he argued.
Muchimbiri said the court had been lenient to Pfumbidzayi by sentencing her to less than half the maximum penalty provision for the offense.
Charges against Pfumbidzayi and Chikumba were laid after an anomaly discovered by former Air Zim chairman Ozias Bvute regarding amounts paid between the period April 2009 to April 2013 to Navistar in aviation insurance premiums.
It is alleged that the duo enlisted the services of Navistar without going to tender and unduly terminated other existing companies.
They were also further accused of inflating aviation insurance payments made to United Kingdom-based companies Colemont Reinsurance Brokers(Private ) Limited and Reinsurance Brokers (Private) Limited.
Pfumbidzayi was, earlier this month, found guilty of defrauding the airliner of close to $10 million.
She together with former chief executive Peter Chikumba were sentenced to an effective seven years imprisonment for criminal abuse of office.
But Pfumbidzayi appealed against both conviction and sentence last week
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| Air Zim boss refused bail pending appeal. |
“In a case of this nature, the court considers if the convicted will serve her sentence if granted bail which is unlikely to happen in this case; her appeal is hopeless and the application is dismissed,” she said.
Pfumbidzayi had stated that she was ready to pay $10,000 bail deposit.
However, the state on Monday opposed her application and described Pfumbidzayi as a “very cunning woman” who could do whatever it takes to achieve her goals.
Public prosecutor Daniel Muchimbiri said Pfumbidzai said it was improper to allow people convicted of serious offence to roam in the streets adding that there were prospects that she would flee when released as she was connected abroad.
“Your worship applicant is very cunning and very calculative and can do whatever it takes to achieve her objective as evidenced by her shedding crocodile tears in court.
“She is also facing another fraud charge as recommended by the auditor and that matter is coming to the courts and she is aware that is an incentive for her to abscond. The matter is now coming as a way of summons,” he argued.
Muchimbiri said the court had been lenient to Pfumbidzayi by sentencing her to less than half the maximum penalty provision for the offense.
Charges against Pfumbidzayi and Chikumba were laid after an anomaly discovered by former Air Zim chairman Ozias Bvute regarding amounts paid between the period April 2009 to April 2013 to Navistar in aviation insurance premiums.
It is alleged that the duo enlisted the services of Navistar without going to tender and unduly terminated other existing companies.
They were also further accused of inflating aviation insurance payments made to United Kingdom-based companies Colemont Reinsurance Brokers(Private ) Limited and Reinsurance Brokers (Private) Limited.
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