News / National
Former CEO jailed 18 months for dating a 12 year old girl
06 Mar 2013 at 05:13hrs | Views
Former David Whitehead Textiles chief executive officer Edwin Chimanye who dated a 12-year-old girl and showered her with gifts and cash was yesterday jailed for an effective 18 months.
Harare magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei jailed Chimanye (45), who is also director of ZUWA chemicals in Borrowdale, 24 months before six months were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Chimanye pleaded for a non-custodial sentence arguing that he had an important role in society.
"My standing in society calls for a lesser sentence and hundreds of workers will be rendered destitute if an imprisonment term is given," he said.
"I am the owner of a company employing several people and I was involved in the resuscitation of David Whitehead Textiles.
"A lot of families have put their future in the former management team.
"It would be just for the court to consider imposing a non-custodial sentence."
Prosecutor Ms Junior Mugebe had called for a stiffer sentence saying Chimanye took advantage of his financial muscle and manipulated the minor.
"The legislature calls for the courts which are upper guardians to protect young people and curb such a criminal conduct," said Ms Mugebe.
"He took the complainant to adult environments where alcohol is taken at night instead of her to concentrate on school work and enjoy childhood.
"With the 33 years age difference between the complainant and Chimanye, he should have acted as a fatherly figure.
"Instead he used his financial position to manipulate the child and if the complainant's father had not found out on time, more serious offences would have been done."
Ms Mugebe proved that on January 7 around 5pm, Chimanye saw the girl walking along Ascot Road in Avondale prompting him to stop his vehicle, giving her his business card.
He contacted the girl before agreeing to meet on January 10 so that they would go out together. Chimanye bought her a Nokia Asha for communication on WhatsApp and at one time a family friend saw the girl with this phone, went through the pair's messages and became aware that the two were lovers.
He picked up the girl and her friends on the same day around 7pm and took them to Richwood Park where he ordered them to buy drinks and food leaving Chimanye to fondle and kiss the girl in the vehicle.
The girl told the court that Chimanye once asked her to look for a lodge near her residence and a family friend confirmed the pair's relationship.
At one time Chimanye asked the girl to send him her naked pictures which she did.
The matter came to light when the girl's parents discovered the mobile phone.
The parents made a police report which led to Chimanye's arrest.
Harare magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei jailed Chimanye (45), who is also director of ZUWA chemicals in Borrowdale, 24 months before six months were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Chimanye pleaded for a non-custodial sentence arguing that he had an important role in society.
"My standing in society calls for a lesser sentence and hundreds of workers will be rendered destitute if an imprisonment term is given," he said.
"I am the owner of a company employing several people and I was involved in the resuscitation of David Whitehead Textiles.
"A lot of families have put their future in the former management team.
"It would be just for the court to consider imposing a non-custodial sentence."
Prosecutor Ms Junior Mugebe had called for a stiffer sentence saying Chimanye took advantage of his financial muscle and manipulated the minor.
"The legislature calls for the courts which are upper guardians to protect young people and curb such a criminal conduct," said Ms Mugebe.
"He took the complainant to adult environments where alcohol is taken at night instead of her to concentrate on school work and enjoy childhood.
"With the 33 years age difference between the complainant and Chimanye, he should have acted as a fatherly figure.
"Instead he used his financial position to manipulate the child and if the complainant's father had not found out on time, more serious offences would have been done."
Ms Mugebe proved that on January 7 around 5pm, Chimanye saw the girl walking along Ascot Road in Avondale prompting him to stop his vehicle, giving her his business card.
He contacted the girl before agreeing to meet on January 10 so that they would go out together. Chimanye bought her a Nokia Asha for communication on WhatsApp and at one time a family friend saw the girl with this phone, went through the pair's messages and became aware that the two were lovers.
He picked up the girl and her friends on the same day around 7pm and took them to Richwood Park where he ordered them to buy drinks and food leaving Chimanye to fondle and kiss the girl in the vehicle.
The girl told the court that Chimanye once asked her to look for a lodge near her residence and a family friend confirmed the pair's relationship.
At one time Chimanye asked the girl to send him her naked pictures which she did.
The matter came to light when the girl's parents discovered the mobile phone.
The parents made a police report which led to Chimanye's arrest.
Source - TH
