Monica Chinamasa, wife of Zimbabwean Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, was presented with Z$25 million (HK$11,400) prize money at the BAT Tobacco Grower of the Year awards ceremony in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, 10 days ago.

Richard Yates, a Zimbabwean farmer, told The Sunday Telegraph the Chinamasas stole the farm from him in September 2003. ``They virtually evicted me at gunpoint,'' he said.

Yates still has the title deeds to the 800-hectare farm in the Headlands area, east of Harare. Although he was paid some compensation by the Chinamasas, he is still waiting for full payment. ``As far as I am concerned I still own the farm,'' he said.

The prize has sparked outrage among critics of the Zimbabwean government, many of whom believe international businesses should avoid any involvement with the country because of its appalling record of human rights abuses and illegal land grabs.

Kate Hoey, the British Labour MP and former minister who has recently returned from a fact-finding mission in Zimbabwe, described BAT's actions as ``shocking.''

``I am very surprised that BAT has done this,'' she said. ``It's pretty shocking for a multinational corporation to reward theft. It is like someone stealing a race horse and winning the Grand National.''

Last night, BAT refused to apologize for its involvement in the awards. ``It is not our place to say how that farm was acquired and whether we believe it to be right or not,'' said a spokeswoman.

She said BAT, whose deputy chairman is Ken Clarke, a former British finance minister, has sponsored the awards for the past 10 years and its involvement is purely financial. ``We have no input into who is selected for the awards or who wins,'' she said.

In a separate statement earlier last week, the company said: ``BAT believes that it is not our place to condone or condemn governments.''

Roy Bennett, a former farmer and MP for Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change opposition party, said BAT's apparent tacit support of the regime was particularly shocking in the light of an initiative taken last week by the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The UN agency is launching an appeal to provide shelter for the 300,000 people worst affected by government evictions in Zimbabwe.

``As soon as you get companies the size of BAT involving themselves in issues that are clearly issues of human rights and theft, it is indefensible,'' Bennett said.