adminLeonard Ncube Court Reporter
A Bulawayo couple has been arrested for allegedly forging documents purporting to be licensed international dealers in diamonds.
Robert Bruce MacDonald, 54, and Sihle MacDonald, 42, of Dundee Road in Famona appeared separately in court on forgery charges.The couple owns Matabeleland Investment and allegedly wanted foreign diamond buyers to buy the precious mineral through their company, thereby intending to defraud the country of the precious mineral.
Crispen Mberewere, the magistrate released the man on $200 bail while his wife was given $100 bail.
Both will next appear on January 16 and were ordered to report once every fortnight at Hillside Police Station, surrender travel documents and not to interfere with witnesses.
Byron Sengweni of Dube-Tachiona and Tsvangirai Legal Practitioners is representing the couple.
Allegations are that on December 17, last year, the couple took the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) letterhead and forged the signature of Ottilia Furusa, an acting general manager for the organisation.
Caroline Matanga, prosecuting, told the court that the MacDonalds went on to create a letter purportedly written by MMCZ to the effect that their company was authorised to sell MMCZ diamonds.
It is said, through Matabeleland Investment, the couple sent the forged document to different prospective buyers.
They allegedly used an email address used by their company, the court heard.
The MacDonalds ran out of luck when one of the prospective buyers sent a scanned document to MMCZ for confirmation upon which it was discovered that the document was fake and Matabeleland Investment was not an authorised buyer or seller of diamonds, or a client of MMCZ.
A report was made to the police leading to the couple’s arrest.
Online Reporter