High Court Overturns Oscar Pambuka’s Conviction For Fraud

High court judges Pisirayi Kwenda and Benjamin Chikowero have quashed former radio and television presenter Oscar Pambuka’s conviction and sentence by the Magistrates Court on appeal.

Pambuka’s lawyer, Panashe Sagwete, had appealed against his conviction and sentence on two counts of fraud.

Pambuka and his co-accused, Psychology Maziwisa were convicted of two counts of fraud and each sentenced to six years and five months in prison.

The court, however, conditionally suspended part of the sentence, leaving them to serve only  two years and six months each.

Pambuka and Maziwisa were allegedly fraudulently awarded a tender to do public relations work for ZESA Holdings by former Energy minister Samuel Undenge at a time when the power utility had its own functional public relations department.

ZESA’s subsidiary, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), lost over US$12 000 in that deal.