http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...winnie_mandela
Mandela's Ex-Wife Sentenced to Prison
23 minutes ago
PRETORIA, South Africa - Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the fiery anti-apartheid leader and ex-wife of former President Nelson Mandela, was sentenced to four years in prison Friday for her conviction on fraud and theft charges.
She was convicted Thursday of 43 counts of fraud and 25 of theft of money from a women's political league. The judge handed down a five-year sentence Friday but suspended one year of that term.
She was released on bail pending a possible appeal.
Outside the courtroom, Madikizela-Mandela declined to discuss the case. However, she said she had resigned her seat in Parliament, her membership in the executive committee of the governing African National Congress (news - web sites), and the head of the ANC Women's League.
Madikizela-Mandela had pleaded innocent to 60 charges of fraud and 25 of theft involving $120,000 at the African National Congress Women's League, which Madikizela-Mandela leads.
The prosecution said letters on organization stationery that bore Madikizela-Mandela's signature were used to fraudulently obtain bank loans in the name of bogus employees, including her daughter, Zinzi.
The theft charges relate to money deducted from the bank accounts of loan applicants for a funeral policy that the prosecution says did not exist.
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