National Pharmaceutical Company (Natpharm) acting general manager Newman Madzikwa has been slapped with a 20 months jail term after he was convicted of corruptly hiking drug handling fees from four percent to 15 percent.<\/p>\n
Senior regional magistrate Hosea Mujaya however suspended 6 months of his sentence leaving him to serve 14 months effective on condition he does not commit a similar offence in five years.<\/p>\n
In his ruling, Mujaya said the sentence would serve as an example to would-be offenders among those who abuse their authority and stray out of their duty requirements.<\/p>\n
The magistrate however considered that Madzikwa was a first offender with three minor children, adding that he was most likely going to lose his job following his conviction.<\/p>\n
Mujaya said corruption related matters are now prevalent and the courts must be seen to be playing its part in stamping out the rot.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no proof that you benefited from this unwise act.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, you had already played your part in committing the offence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe State has correctly pointed out the consequences of your actions. Indeed such behaviour can cause the public to rise against the current administration,\u201d Mujaya said.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeeping you out of prison will show tolerance of such bad crime. I will therefore send you to prison for a shorter period,\u201d Mujaya added.<\/p>\n
After Mujaya handed the sentence, Madzikwa\u2019s wife broke down in tears as both embraced before he was whisked away by prison officers.<\/p>\n
During mitigation, Madzikwa\u2019s lawyer Harrison Nkomo had pleaded for a non-custodial sentence.<\/p>\n
Nkomo said his client stands to lose both his job and licence to practise in the pharmaceutical business following his conviction.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did not personally benefit from the offence.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did not commit the offence to derive any benefit.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Natpharm board and management had already agreed that drug handling fees must be raised from four percent. The proposed fees would have made Natpharm viable,\u201d Nkomo submitted.<\/p>\n
However, prosecutor Zivanai Macharaga petitioned court to give Madzikwa a sharp custodial sentence.<\/p>\n
Macharaga submitted that there is a perception that corruption is endemic and public officials are immune to punishment arising from corruption.<\/p>\n
\u201cFailure to deal with public officials who abuse their office will result in a restless citizenry.<\/p>\n
\u201cA record must be set to existing public officers and members of the public that the courts are unequivocal in dealing with corruption.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the court gives him a slap on the wrist, the perception that courts are not serious in dealing with corruption will remain,\u201d Macharaga said during aggravation.<\/p>\n
It was the State\u2019s case that Madzikwa directed Natpharm\u2019s financial director Roland Mlalazi in a meeting held on September 3, 2018 to effect 11 percent of drug handling fees, up from four percent.<\/p>\n
Acting upon the directive, Mlalazi wrote to IT manager Zealous Nyabadza to effect the price hike.<\/p>\n
The State proved this could have potentially caused price hikes of basic drugs, compromising accessibility to consumers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
National Pharmaceutical Company (Natpharm) acting general manager Newman Madzikwa has been slapped with a 20 months jail term after he was convicted of corruptly hiking drug handling fees from four percent to 15 percent. Senior regional magistrate Hosea Mujaya however suspended 6 months of his sentence leaving him to serve 14 months effective on condition […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":10332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[383,60,61],"class_list":{"0":"post-10325","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-community","9":"tag-drug","10":"tag-jail","11":"tag-sentence"},"yoast_head":"\n