happiness ChikwanhaPaidamoyo Bore
TWO men have been dragged to court to answer charges of fraud and unlawful possession of agricultural inputs worth US$18 000.
Sean Joubert (32) and Charles Gumbeze (41) were granted $50 000 bail each when they appeared before Harare Magistrate Dennis Mangosi.
They will be back in court on December 16 pending finalisation of investigations.
The duo is accused of deceiving Corne Hendrick Terblanche, after misrepresenting to him that they were selling fertiliser affected by water, but which could still be used.
It is alleged that Joubert and Gumbeze produced fake Kynoch fertiliser after US$18 000 had been paid to Joubert.
The court heard that the duo mixed windmill Compound D, Superfert Compound D and Superfert Cotton Blend, which were part of the donated Presidential Inputs Scheme.
It is also alleged that they packed the fertiliser into 50kg Kynoch bags misrepresenting that it was from Kynoch.
They intended to supply 30 tonnes to Hendrick.
Detectives got a tip-off and raided the two and found packing the fertiliser.
On a different count, Scott Conlon, the operations manager at ETG Inputs Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd, who is in the business of manufacturing Kynoch, discovered that the duo was producing a fake product and reported the matter to the police.
Conlon then led the police to Tynwald where the duo was found mixing and packing the fake fertiliser.
The duo was also found in possession of 61x50kg of Superfert Compound D and 31×50 kg of Superfert Cotton Blend from the Presidential Inputs Scheme.
It is alleged that the accused were not registered to receive inputs.
Pardon Dziva appeared for the State.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter