By A Correspondent- A Beitbridge man has been sentenced to one year in jail for attempted bribery after he tried to pay ZAR5 000 to a prosecutor to influence the trial of his brothers-in-law who were arrested for stock theft.

Edmore Makondo (32) was last week sentenced after attempting to bribe Beitbridge Area Prosecutor, Tinayeishe Matenga to influence a lighter sentence or the release of his brother-in-laws Lloyd Moyo and Thomas Moyo.

Magistrate Gwazemba suspended four months of the sentence on condition that Makondo does not commit a similar offence in five years he will effectively serve eight months. The ZAR 5 000 bribe money was forfeited to the State.

Prosecutor Ronald Mugwagwa told the court that Makondo went to Matenga’s office and offered her ZAR 5000 to influence Lloyd and Thomas’s case.

Matenga told Makondo that he should hand the money to someone else and she directed him to ZRP Beitbridge Superintendent Philisani Ndebele who laid a trap at N and R Complex.

Makondo went to the complex and met Ndebele who was not in uniform and handed him the money. He was then arrested.

His lawyer Jabulani Mzinyathi of Garikai and Company told the court that his client is a first offender and proposed that Makondo be spared jail and fined ZAR15 000.