Former Air Zimbabwe boss gets bail, no flight risk

Former Air Zimbabwe Holdings chief executive Peter Chikumba was today granted a $2000 bail coupled with stringent conditions by the High Court after he challenged his conviction for criminal abuse of duty.

The court ruled that Chikumba was a suitable applicant for bail and that his chances for success on appeal were very high. He was also deemed not a flight risk.

Chikumba argued that he was erroneously convicted by the trial magistrate of criminal abuse of duty as a public officer when under the law he was not a public officer.

He was convicted and jailed for an effective seven years for criminal abuse of duty under Section 174 (1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act (Chapter 9:23).