Prosecutor Tinei Tirigo told the court that on April 16 2014, at around 8 am at the local hospital, Chipere’s co-accused, Shamiso Punzwana, approached her requesting her to issue HIV test results in favour of her husband, Muhenyeri. Punzwana indicated to Chipere that her husband wanted to secure a job at a certain cotton company which required negative HIV results.
Chipere agreed and endorsed a Voluntary Counselling and Testing Number 2014V02435 on the result sheet, bearing negative results in favour of Muhenyeri without testing him. It later turned out that the VCTN number and results she gave to Muhenyeri actually belonged to another client, Mujeyi Bongwani, of Village Zengeya in Gokwe, who had been tested for HIV on the same day.
Chipere, who is being represented by lawyer Madzima Mutatu, is denying the charges. She said she never issued the results to Muhenyeri because she never conducted an HIV test on him.
Magistrate Sherphered Munyanyi is expected to deliver a verdict on the matter next week. Punzwana has already been convicted for criminal abuse of office and is awaiting sentence. The law stipulates a mandatory two year imprisonment sentence in such cases. Both Chipere and Punzwana were denied bail.
Post published in: Health