It Has Ended In Tears – Man Who Sold Alcohol to Minors on Christmas Day Receives Guilty Verdict
It Has Ended In Tears – Man Who Sold Alcohol to Minors on Christmas Day Receives Guilty Verdict – The Mbare Magistrates Court announced on Friday, March 1st, that a 23-year-old native of Harare was found guilty of unlawfully selling beer to minors on Christmas Day of the previous year.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe announced that a man named Phaeton Mutiyaya was convicted on Friday after an ongoing trial since his arrest for selling alcohol to minors who were trending on social media.
Phaeton Mutiyaya was brought under legal scrutiny when a video of minors consuming alcohol in central Harare was shared on social media platforms.
ALSO READ: Woman fatally k!lled by 14-year-old brother during argument over Christmas gifts
According to a statement from the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), Phaeton Mutiyaya, aged 23, is set to return to court on Monday, March 4th, for his sentencing after being found guilty.
On Friday, at the Harare Magistrates Court, Phaeton Mutiyaya (23) received his verdict after being found guilty of selling alcohol to ten minors aged between 5 and 11 during the festive season.
MAN WHO SOLD ALCOHOL TO MINORS DURING FESTIVE SEASON FOUND GUILTY @childlinezim pic.twitter.com/ptOJUACypz
— National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (@NPAZim) March 1, 2024
On Christmas Day, a businessman recorded a video of young boys drinking from bottles of Belgravia in Harare CBD. The video quickly went viral, allowing for the young boys to be easily identified.
After it was reported that the two young boys were residents of Epworth who had run away from home, authorities began searching for the adults responsible for their situation. On December 30th, the Zimbabwe Republic Police located the man who had sold alcohol to the two boys.
The video of intoxicated underage minors spread rapidly on social media, resulting in public outrage and widespread denunciation of the sale of alcohol to those under the legal drinking age.
Mutiyaya was found to be running an illicit alcohol trade from a personal residence located in Mbare. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Monday, March 4th, to conclude the sentencing procedure.
-Afrogazette-
