Harare (New Ziana)-Former Mines and Mining Development permanent secretary, Francis Gudyanga was on Friday convicted of criminal abuse of office.

He was remanded in custody while awaiting sentencing on Wednesday next week.

The Harare Magistrate Court found Gudyanga guilty of corruptly claiming US$29 000 from the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) as sitting allowances on behalf of a board that he had dissolved sometime in December 2013.

Gudyanga, who was the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) board chairman, ordered the parastatal to pay US$1 629 500 to Glammer (Private) Limited.

He instructed the MMCZ to pay Glammer through a local agricultural company, Pedstock Investments, as the former was a foreign company.

Gudyanga lied that the money was to be accounted for as dividends to the stakeholder, which was the Government of Zimbabwe.

It was later discovered that the money did not have anything to do with the MMCZ and it was not being paid to the government, but was a fraudulent arrangement which Gudyanga had made.

New Ziana