Zanu PF secretary for information and publicity Rugare Gumbo was swindled of $4 000 by a 53-year-old church mate.
IVAN NDLOVU OWN CORRESPONDENT
Charles Karimbura of Senga was brought before Gweru magistrate Judith Taruvinga for misappropriating funds given to him by Gumbo for the purchase of spare parts for an excavator.
Karimbura pleaded guilty to the charge of theft. Taruvinga considered that Karimbura was a family man and did not waste the court’s time with a trial, before sentencing him.
Karimbura was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with eight months suspended on condition that he pays back the $4 000.
The remaining four months were suspended for two years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within that period.
In his defence, Karimbura said he had used the money after his trip to South Africa, where he was to buy the parts, cost more than expected.
“My stay and travel there was expensive because it took longer than I had planned and I had set my number on roaming, which made phone calls expensive,” he said.
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“I am a God-fearing man, but I do not know what had happened to me.”
The court heard that Gumbo was looking for quotations for spare parts for an excavator and it was during that time that Karimbura approached the Zanu PF spokesman with a $4 000 quotation for the parts required.
On August 3 2014, Gumbo gave the accused the $4 000 in Gweru and Karimbura signed for the money and promised to import the parts by the end of the week.
When the promised time elapsed, Gumbo contacted Karimbura, but the accused gave numerous excuses and later became evasive.
Gumbo then made a report to the police and Karimbura was arrested a few days later, but nothing was recovered.
Daniel Tafuma prosecuted.
