Well this is direct from AP. What a shame this guy was convicted of PRIVATE acts! His personal life should be off-limits, don't you think? He should have hired Ruff.
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Zimbabwe's Ex-President Sentenced
Monday, January 18, 1999; 6:13 a.m. EST
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- A former Zimbabwean president convicted of homosexual assault and sodomy was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, though a judge suspended all but one year of the jail term.
Judge Godfrey Chidyausiku said former head of state Canaan Banana will effectively serve one year in prison if he pays compensation to a policeman he was convicted of raping and to the family of another officer.
Banana's lawyers said they would appeal the conviction and sentence.
Banana, 63, a Methodist minister and theology professor, fled the country in November after he was convicted of 11 sex-related charges. He returned on Dec. 15 and has been under house arrest since.
Banana was convicted of using his power as president to force bodyguards, a cook and a gardener to perform homosexual acts. The offenses occurred from 1980 to 1987, when he served in the largely ceremonial role of president.
Banana was brought to trial after a police inspector who had worked as his bodyguard killed a colleague who had taunted him for his relationship with the former president.
Jefta Dube, serving a 10-year prison term for that killing, testified that he was forced into a sexual relationship with Banana from 1984 to 1986.
The judge said he would rule on bail later today.
He sentenced Banana to eight years for one charge of sodomy and one of ''unnatural acts,'' suspending seven years on condition that he commit no further such offenses and pays $6,000 to the victim and $6,000 to the family of the police officer who was killed.
Banana also received two years for nine counts of indecent homosexual assault, with one year suspended.
The two sentences were to be served concurrently, for a total of a year, the judge said.
© Copyright 1999 The Associated Press
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