Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Bribery (including public corruption) |
Sentence: |
12 months with 7 months suspended conditional on no illegal conduct |
Years Imprisoned: |
0.4 |
Year Crime: |
2015 |
Year Convicted: |
2015 |
Year Cleared: |
2017 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Zimbabwe |
County or Region of Crime: |
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City of Crime: |
Gweru |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"Kudakwashe Ndebele and Welcome Phiri were codefendants wrongly convicted on September 22, 2015 of criminal abuse of office as public officers (accepting a bribe) in April 2015 in Gweru, Zimbabwe. Ndebele was a prison officer in Gweru, Zimbabwe and Phiri was a Gweru Magistrate's Court interpreter. Their prosecution was based on the allegation that Ndebele was given a $200 bribe by Innocencia Murakwani, who is related to Admire Gambiza, who was a rape suspect, to facilitate Gambiza's release from Whawha remand prison by either granting him bail or the withdrawing of the charges. Ndebele allegedly gave half the money to Phiri. After their conviction following a bench (judge only) trial by Magistrate Chibanda, Ndebele and Phiri were each sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, with 7 months suspended for five years conditional on them not committing another crime. They appealed. On June 19, 2017 the Bulawayo High Court set-aside the convictions of Ndebele and Phiri on the basis of insufficient evidence of their guilt, and found them not guilty." |
Conviction Caused By: |
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Innocence Proved By: |
"On June 19, 2017 the Bulawayo High Court set-aside the convictions of Ndebele and Phiri on the basis of insufficient evidence of their guilt, and found them not guilty." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
32 |
Age When Released: |
33 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Black |
Information Source 1: |
"Gweru prosecutor, prisoner officer cleared of criminal abuse, By Shakespeare Muzavazi, ZimNews.net, June 30, 2017" |
Information Location 1: |
https://zimnews.net/gweru-prosecutor-prison-officer-cleared-criminal-abuse/ |
Information Source 2: |
"Zimbabwe: Prison Guard, Court Interpreter Receive U.S $200 Bribe to Release Rapist, Caged, By NewZimbabwe.com, September 23, 2015" |
Information Location 2: |
http://allafrica.com/stories/201509230405.html |
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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org