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Amanda Ncube, Sunday News Reporter
TWO directors of Sand Finder Investments Private Limited, one of them a Chinese man who allegedly stole gold ore worth more than $64 000 have appeared in court to answer to charges of theft and transportation of gold without a permit.
The court could, however, not proceed last week as one of the accused persons could not understand English or any other local language. The duo of Mohammed Daka (37) and Victor Xu Xiaofei (28) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Chrispen Mberewere facing theft and transportation of gold ore without a permit charges.
The two were not asked to plead and were remanded in custody to 22 March after the court failed to proceed as one of the accused persons could not understand English and the interpreters could neither speak the language he understood.
The State’s case as presented by prosecutor, Mr Simbarashe Manyiwa is that on 1 June 2016, the duo approached the complainant, Mr Van Rooyen Micheal at his house in the company of Mr Xu Shuing, chief executive officer of Sand Finder Investment and three other Chinese geologists asking to do exploration in order to buy Star Group of Mines.
It was the State’s case that the complainant allowed the two to take the samples from Star Group of Mines for assaying to assess viability of the mines before buying them.
The court heard that from 1 June to 25 August 2016, the two employed teams comprising five men each and took about 144 tonnes of gold ore from several shafts at the Star Group of Mines and milled it at their Hope Fountain milling centre instead of taking for assaying as had earlier been agreed on.
According to the prosecutor, the gold ore was transported during the night without an ore movement permit.
At the Hope Fountain milling centre, the duo milled gold ore and realised 1 604 grammes fine gold which was taken by the accused persons and they have failed to account for it.
The complainant discovered the offence on 17 August 2016 and stopped the accused persons from entering his claim. The value of the stolen gold is
$64 080 and nothing was recovered.
Online Reporter