Harare — TWO Printflow Private Limited employees; who were last week jailed 18 months apiece for illegally possessing blank copies of birth certificates, passport application forms, Government receipts and other official documents; have appealed to the High Court challenging the sentence.

Titus Mugabe and Edwell Antonio, who were print assistants at Printflow's premises at the corner of Epton Road and George Silundika Avenue, were jailed after pleading guilty to possessing articles meant for criminal use before magistrate Ms Tendai Rusinahama.

Through their lawyer Mr Tawanda Nyamasoka of Artherstone and Cook the two filed an appeal seeking a review of the sentence which they felt was too harsh.

"The sentence imposed by the court was in excess of that prescribed by the Act. It was too excessive so as to induce a sense of shock.

"Wherefore, the appellant pray that the appeal be upheld, the decision of the court-a-quo be set aside and a more reasonable sentence in the circumstances be imposed," Mr Nyamasoka said.

Mr Nyamasoka told The Herald that he would soon apply for bail pending the determination of the appeal at the magistrates' court.

Prosecutor Mrs Media Chikosi established that on September 19, a Hatfield man Mr Blessed Artwell Mutwire, who had acquired a passport application form from Mugabe and Antonio, went to the Harare passport office with the intention of applying for a passport using the form.

An alert Registrar-General's Office employee noticed that the serial number of the form was not yet in circulation and referred Mr Mutwire to police officers manning the premises.

Further investigations revealed that Mugabe and Antonio had provided Mr Mutwire with the form.

Searches at the pair's homes led to the recovery of eight burial order forms, 40 national registration forms, 634 Government receipts and two serial number rubber stamps, 27 birth confirmation record forms, 185 birth certificate forms, 113 emergency travelling document forms and 21 blank passports.