64-Year-Old High Court Assessor Sentenced To 8 Years Imprisonment For Bribery

A 64-year-old High Court assessor in Bulawayo has been handed an eight-year prison sentence for soliciting a US$1,974 bribe from a member of the public, promising to help him upload his case onto the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) system.

Ceaser Nkomo committed the offence alongside an accomplice, 30-year-old Shingirai Mpungu, who has yet to be arrested.

Despite pleading not guilty before Bulawayo regional magistrate Sibonginkosi Maphosa, Nkomo was convicted on the strength of overwhelming evidence.

He was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment, with two years suspended on condition of good behaviour. A further year was suspended on the condition that Nkomo pays restitution to the complainant by 30 June, meaning he will serve an effective five years in jail.

Magistrate Maphosa said that investigations revealed Nkomo had received the bribe through EcoCash.

She added that Nkomo deliberately misled the complainant, claiming he was at the Gweru Circuit Court with a judge each time he was contacted.

Prosecutor Owen Mugari urged the court to impose a harsher sentence, saying Nkomo, as a JSC member, had brought the commission into disrepute. Said Mugari:

“His actions have soiled the reputation of the JSC as bribery is a serious offence. A custodial sentence is the only appropriate punishment for this crime, which has become a cancer threatening the fabric of society.”

He said Nkomo was a repeat offender, having been convicted of theft in 2016.

According to the State, in 2021, the complainant filed a civil case at the Bulawayo High Court under HC1424/21, but later discovered that his matter was no longer in the court system.

In 2024, the complainant visited the High Court to find out how his case could be reinstated, which is when he met Nkomo. Nkomo promised to help and later told him over the phone that a US$20 search fee was required.

Nkomo then introduced the complainant to Mpungu, claiming he was the Registrar at the High Court and that the two were handling the matter together.

The court heard that Nkomo repeatedly demanded cash from the complainant through calls and messages, insisting it was needed to restore the case.

On several occasions, the complainant sent money via EcoCash, and at one point made a direct payment, bringing the total lost to US$1,974.

The complainant eventually discovered that Mpungu was not employed at the High Court and reported the matter to the police, leading to Nkomo’s arrest.

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