Own Correspondent|FORMER MP for Highfield West Psychology Maziwisa and former ZBC News presenter Oscar Pambuka have been convicted of defrauding the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) of $12 500 in a public relations deal.

The pair have been jailed for 6 years and 5 months, but will serve 2 years and 6 months each after the rest of the term was conditionally suspended.

Allegations were that sometime in 2016, Maziwisa and Pambuka took a letter to ZPC from former Minister of Energy and Power Development, Samuel Undenge.

The letter directed ZPC to work with Fruitful Communications at intervals of six months.

The court heard that in January 2016, Maziwisa and Pambuka entered into a verbal agreement with ZPC to do its publicity work.

During the agreement, ZPC was represented by Mr Noah Gwariro and Ms Chisveto.

On February 12, Fruitful Communications hosted a Zim-Asset conference at a local hotel where Undenge was the guest of honour.

ZBC covered the event, but on March 8, Maziwisa and Pambuka, with an intention to defraud the company, brought an invoice of $12 650 to ZPC.

They claimed that they had done the Zim-Asset media campaign and press conference on power projects in Kariba, Hwange and Batoka.

They also claimed to have done news bulletins at Power FM, Radio Zimbabwe and National FM and a “Powertalk” programme on Power FM.

The pair also alleged they had done Zim-Asset conference radio interviews on National FM and another Powertalk session on energy and infrastructural development.

Acting on the misrepresentation, ZPC paid the money.