Sentence too lenient for your crime, judge tells e...

Sentence too lenient for your crime, judge tells ex-minister Kagonye

Zim Now Writer

Former minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Petronella Kagonye, who is serving her prison sentence at Chikurubi Female Prison after being convicted of graft, had her application for appeal against conviction and sentence thrown out by the Supreme Court.

Kagonye had escalated her bid after the High Court had dismissed her appeal.

Justice Benjamin Chikowore argued that the magistrate in the graft trial was too lenient with the former minister.

Justice Chikowore said that Kagonye had no prospects of success on appeal against conviction and definitely not against the sentence.

Kagonye was instead told that the courts should set an example to would-be public office offenders.

“I am not at all persuaded that there is a reasonable prospect of success in arguing that the sentence imposed induces a sense of shock.

“Considering the courts’ tough stance in sentencing high ranking officers convicted of corruption-related offences, the applicant, it seems to me, was indeed fortunate relative to sentence.

“The application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court be and is dismissed in its entirety.”

Kagonye convicted of grabbing 20 laptops, that she had been given the through Potraz, to benefit schools in her Goromonzi South constituency through the e-learning project.

The former minister was allowed to choose the beneficiary schools and decided to donate three laptops to a school for the physically-impaired in Ruwa. Kagonye misappropriated the rest.

The judges in her appeal also remarked that Kagonye was an obstacle to social development and therefore a disgrace to society.