HARARE, Dec 4: Zimbabwe's cricket body was on Monday convicted by a Harare magistrate's court for breaching the country's stiff foreign exchange laws.

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), represented by the association's accountant Anesu Kafesu, pleaded guilty to making unauthorised payments to a foreign television company without the go-ahead from the central bank.

The southern African country has introduced strict laws on foreign payments which need central bank approval.

State prosecutor Obi Mabahwana said that between November 2004 and September last year the body had paid Britain-based television production company Octagon CSI 1.3 million US dollars (976,629 euros) for advertising and marketing services.

Mabahwana said in the second charge ZC sold advertising space at Harare sports club to 7Cs in May 2005 and then cancelled the contract and entered into another deal with Gameplan Limited.

The cricket body's lawyer Wilson Manase said it breached the law unknowingly.—AFP