Sekeramayi fingered in botched clearing deal

Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi's name has been dragged into a matter in which his "daughter-in-law", Sally Sekeramayi, swindled a shipping company of $9 100 in a botched clearing deal.

Sally is now serving a two-year jail sentence after she was convicted of fraud.

Evidence presented before Harare magistrate Musaiwona Shotgame suggests that Modester Mlambo, a freight forwarder based in the United Kingdom, was duped into believing Sally would use her "father's" political influence to have her goods seized by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) over $46 000 duty, released.

The minister's daughter-in-law failed to raise restitution in three months after her conviction last year in February and was sent to prison. But she has since filed an application for bail pending appeal at the High Court against both conviction and sentence.