Zimbabwe’s former Deputy Minister of Finance Terrence Mukupe who was convicted of smuggling fuel was yesterday sentenced to three years six months imprisonment by the High Court.
Mukupe was also fined US$12 780 failure to pay will mean the addition of another two year jail term.High Court judge justice Benjamin Chikowero suspended six months on condition of good behaviour meaning Mukupe will serve three years effective jail term.
Mukupe is accused of smuggling 138 979 litres of diesel.
He was being charged together with Same Kapisoriso, Joseph Taderera and Leonard Mudzuto who were also given similar sentences.In sentencing them Justice Chikowero ruled that the convicts acted together by loading water into the tankers before they depart for Chirundu Border Post.
He said in coming up with an appropriate sentence, he considered that Mukupe has 10 children with the eldest 14 years of age and that he also employed 102 individuals.
Justice Chikowero said he was surprised that the matter took seven years to come to trial despite the fact that it was a simple and straightforward matter.
