Fake seed dealers in the dock

Chinhoyi Bureau
UNSUSPECTING farmers in and around Chinhoyi could have bought counterfeit Seed Co maize seed after two men suspected of producing and supplying fake seed using sophisticated machinery were arrested.Pen Goremusandu (34) of House Number 520 Chikonohono in Chinhoyi and Lloyd Katsvete (31) of 353 Boundary Road in Karoi and employed by FarmChem were arrested last week following a tip off to police detectives.

They have since appeared before Chinhoyi magistrate Mr Singandu Jele who sentenced them to six months in prison or pay a fine of $300 after they pleaded guilty to charges of fraud.

Prosecutor Mr Vote Zishiri told the court that detectives from CID Law and Order Chinhoyi received information that they were manufacturing and supplying counterfeit Seedco maize seed. During investigations police went to Goremusandu’s house where they found 253 x 10kg new SeedCo SC513 maize seed empty plastic bags, 4 x 25kg bags of Seedco SC513 empty bags, an electric sealing machine, electric stitching machine and two rolls of sewing thread from his bedroom.

Further investigations led to the recovery of 3 x 10kg fake seed from Market Time Motor Spares shop at Chinhoyi Main Bus Terminus where Goremusandu had displayed it for sale. On further questioning he revealed that he got the brand new Seed Co plastic bags from Katsvete who also supplied the fake seed.

The two connived to source ordinary maize from the streets and farms and then colour it using green paint tint before selling to unsuspecting customers. Police then followed up on Katsvete in Karoi and found 19 x 10kg counterfeit seed and a further 11 x 25kg of fake seed.

Katsvete revealed that he got the Seed Co bags from Mbare Musika in Harare from an unknown person. They also indicated that they got the brand new empty packs from a plastic manufacturing company in Harare’s Workington area.

In aggravation Mr Zishiri told the court that the two’s actions had far reaching consequences as some people would get poor harvests thereby compromising the country’s food security.