High Court dismisses convicted cop's bribery appeal

Tyron Makayi, a CID officer from Masvingo, had his appeal against his bribery conviction and sentence rejected by the High Court. After being convicted and sentenced to 36 months in prison (with 10 months suspended), Makayi attempted to flee the courtroom dramatically, but was restrained by a female police officer before he could escape.

Makayi's appeal, filed after his conviction on May 17 last year, contested both the conviction and the sentence. He argued that the court erred in finding him guilty, claiming mistaken identity and challenging the validity of evidence against him. He also felt the 26-month effective prison term was too harsh given the mitigating factors.

The High Court, however, upheld the lower court's decision. Justices Garainesu Mawadze and Sunsley Zisengwe found no fault in the lower court's handling of the case, emphasizing that the identification of Makayi was correctly addressed and that a custodial sentence was appropriate given his role as a public official and the nature of his offense. The appeal was thus dismissed in full.