Munyaradzi Kereke, a former advisor to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor and member of parliament, has been ordered to return to jail to serve out the remaining 20 months of his 10-year sentence for the rape of his 9-year-old niece. The Supreme Court dismissed Kereke’s appeal in its entirety, upholding his conviction and sentence.

Kereke was initially convicted in 2016 and sentenced to 14 years in jail, with four years suspended. He had appealed the conviction and sentence, but the Supreme Court rejected his appeal, finding that the prosecution had established beyond a reasonable doubt that Kereke had committed the crime.

The court also dismissed Kereke’s defense of an alibi, finding it not credible. Furthermore, the court determined that Kereke’s witnesses had been coached and their testimony was not credible.

Kereke had been out on bail since August 2021, pending the appeal. However, with the dismissal of his appeal, he will now have to return to jail to complete his sentence.