Government slams trial judge

Zimbabwe's Attorney-General said he would appeal against a six-month jail terms given to three Americans convicted of illegal arms possession and attempting to load dangerous weapons on an aircraft, Reuters reported. Attorney-General Patrick Chinamasa said in a statement published by the state-owned 'Herald' newspaper that he would appeal to the Supreme Court for a review of the High Court sentence, which he said trivialised a serious offence. "By imposing sentences which do not match the seriousness of the offences, Justice (Mahomed) Adam has in effect trivialised crimes of unlawful possession of arms and has seriously erred in doing so," Chinamasa said. "The nation should know and should be told that the leniency of the sentences constitutes a betrayal of all civilised and acceptable notions of justice and of Zimbabwe's sovereign interests," the statement added. Adam sentenced the three US citizens to a total 27 months each in prison, including six months already served since their detention on 7 March, and two concurrent six-month terms. Nine months of the sentence was suspended.