Following the docking of the points the Gweru side, which was topping the league with 65-points, was pruned to 23 giving the premiership ticket to Beitbridge side Tripple B.
The busmen have indicated they would appeal against the verdict as they are now on position 12 and facing the grim prospect of being relegated to Division Two.
In another case, which was also heard by the Reginald Chidawanyika-chaired disciplinary committee, Hardbody’s director Takesure Sibanda was found guilty of attempted bribery.
The transport operator who runs T & H bus company was fined US$800 and banned from all football related activities for one year, which were wholly suspended for five years on the condition he does not commit a similar offence.
Sibanda was found guilty of bribing Bulawayo referee Albert Mbuse with US$200 to influence the outcome of their match against Gweru Pirates on October 16 in which they coolly won 3-0 at Mkoba Stadium.
Mbuse turned down the offer and as evidence before the disciplinary committee, audio recordings on a compact disc with voices of Sibanda smooth talking the referee to accept the bribe were presented.
But it was the improper registration of their player Tatenda Chingara which spelt doom for Hardbody. Charges against Hardbody are that at the beginning of this year they registered Chingara from the now defunct Big Valley Masters (BVM), with the player non-existent in Zifa’s database.
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They fraudulently acquired the player’s licence after BVM and used him as a ghost player without a reverse international clearance from Namibian side Sport Klub Windhoek that he turned out for in the 2009 season.
BVM officials Bond Mususa, Isaac Mhere and Jeremiah Neganda were then found guilty of wrongfully and unlawfully facilitating the registration of Chingara and were each banned for one year from all football-related activities.
Hardbody treasurer Raymond Mugandani who at the beginng of the year was the club secretary was also found guilty of forgery of documents to wrongfully and unlawfully facilitate the registration of the player and was fined US$800.
In passing sentence, disciplinary committee secretary Douglas Zvenyika said three points would be deducted from each of the 14 games the player appeared for Hardbody this season.
