Former Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare Minister Petronella Kagonye final appeal against her conviction and sentence for diverting 20 laptops donated to schools in her constituency has been rejected by the Supreme Court.
The court upheld her conviction and the 16-month sentence she served, ruling that she was properly convicted by a regional magistrate. Although Kagonye served her sentence and was released from prison in May last year, she now carries a lifetime criminal record for theft of trust property.
The Supreme Court’s decision means that a suspended one-year term hangs over her, should she commit any crime involving dishonesty in the future.
Kagonye was convicted in June 2022 by a regional magistrate for diverting the laptops donated by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) for schools in her Goromonzi South constituency.
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Despite her attempts to appeal her conviction and sentence, both her appeal to the High Court and her final appeal to the Supreme Court were dismissed. The courts found that the evidence against Kagonye was strong and that her arguments lacked merit.
Justice Susan Mavangira, writing for the Supreme Court panel, concluded that the trial court’s decision to convict Kagonye was justified, as her testimony was inconsistent and her guilt was proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The High Court’s affirmation of the trial court’s decision was also deemed appropriate. Therefore, Kagonye’s appeal against her conviction and sentence was dismissed by the Supreme Court.