Former Air Zimbabwe bosses Peter Chikumba and Grace Pfumbidzayi will now effectively serve seven-year prison terms imposed on them for swindling the airline of $10 million after the High Court yesterday dismissed their appeals.

Chikumba, who was the airline’s chief executive, and former company secretary Pfumbidzai, were found guilty of criminal abuse of office, but they were freed on bail pending appeal.

High Court judge Justice Edith Mushore yesterday dismissed the appeals by the pair, saying they were fatally defective. The lawyers unsuccessfully applied for permission to amend the notice of appeal, resulting in the dismissal of the appeals. Justice Mushore said it was not possible to amend a fatally defective appeal.

Charges against Pfumbidzayi and Chikumba arose after an anomaly was discovered by former Air Zimbabwe board chairman Mr Ozias Bvute pertaining to amounts paid between April 2009 and April 2013 to a company called Navistar Insurance Brokers (Private) Limited in respect of aviation insurance premiums.