HARARE, Sept. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- A senior law officer found guilty of demanding a 200,000 Zimbabwean dollars (about 36 US dollars) bribe from a convicted person was jailed Monday for breaching the Prevention of Corruption Act, local media reported Tuesday.

    Nickiel Mushangwe had denied the charges when his trial opened,but was ruled guilty by Harare regional magistrate Sandra Nhau.

    He was sentenced to one year and eight months' imprisonment butsix months were conditionally suspended.

    Mushangwe's relatives, who were following the proceedings, weptopenly in court as the magistrate handed down the sentence.

    Mushangwe, clad in remand prison garb, remained numb in the dock and was quickly escorted back into the holding cells by a prison guard.

    The court heard that sometime last year Raphel Rupere was convicted of assault and causing grievous bodily harm and he appealed against both conviction and sentence at the High Court.

    In October last year, Mushangwe, whose duties as a public officer included processing bail applications and appeals by convicted persons, was handling Rupere's case.

    Mushangwe then processed Rupere's application and demanded 200,000 Zimbabwean dollars bribe in return for successfully deliveringhis appeal.

    He solicited for the bribe through Rupere's lawyer Donald Mashingaidze, who supplied Mushangwe with his client's phone number.

    Mushangwe isn't the first senior official thrown into jail for corruption. Since the anti-corruption crackdown began in December last year, several high-profile individuals have been arrested formoney laundering, unauthorized externalization of funds, and illegally dealing in gold and other precious minerals.

    Prominent people who have been arrested include former ministerof finance and economic development Chris Kuruneri, former minister of lands and agriculture Kumbirai Kangai and the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front Central Committee member James Makamba, etc.

    President Robert Mugabe has repeatedly warned that the anti-corruption crackdown will not spare anyone who committed crimes, including top government officials. Enditem