By Paidashe Mandivengerei

FORMER Mines and Mining Development ministry permanent secretary, Francis Gudyanga’s sentencing following his criminal abuse of office conviction has been postponed to Friday after the presiding magistrate failed to show up.

The former top civil servant was convicted of corruption last Friday by magistrate Barbra Chimbodza following a complete trial.

He was expecting to be sentenced Wednesday.

Gudyanga is one of the high-profile figures first arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) in 2017.

He was charged together with former Mines Minister Walter Chidakwa who corruptly dissolved the MMCZ board and appointed him as the chair from December 2013 to September 2016.

Documents produced in court during his trial revealed that for three years Gudyanga received board member fees from the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) despite not convening a single meeting.

From 2013 to 2016, Gudyanga as MMCZ board chair received US$875 each month as board fees and US$460 fees for sitting as a board member 21 times.

The money he claimed for non-existent meetings during the period amounted to US$28 910.