admin
The High Court on Wednesday released jailed former Air Zimbabwe chief executive Peter Chikumba on US$2 000 bail as he contests his conviction on a charge of criminal abuse of duty.
In granting the order, Justice Joseph Martin Mafusire instructed Chikumba to surrender title deeds to his Borrowdale home and report to police once every week.
“In my view, the applicant was not a public officer. In my view, the appeal court is likely to find that the applicant was wrongly convicted,” said Justice Mafusire.
“But if l am wrong on this, the two judges of appeal will correct it. For now I find the prospects of the applicant’s appeal are free from predictable failure.”
Chikumba was convicted for an effective seven years for criminal abuse of duty under the Criminal Law (Codification Reform) Act.
Justice Mafusire accepted the argument by Advocate Thabani Mpofu who is acting for Chikumba, that the discovery that his client was not a public officer constituted changed circumstances warranting him to bring such an application.
A charge of criminal abuse of duty is only applicable to public officers as defined in the country’s statutes.
Online Reporter