adminAmadi Nyathi and Biggie Sibanda would buy ordinary maize and then use green paint to colour the maize and package it into fake SeedCo SC 513 plastic bags.
They packaged the fake seed maize into 153x10kg bags and delivered 69 bags to retail outlets in Bulawayo and the balance to outlets in Gwanda.
The pair was paid a total of $2 295 and 103×10 kg bags of the fake seed maize were recovered. The remainder had already been sold to unsuspecting members of the public.
Police recovered the paint that the pair was using from Sibanda’s house in Gweru.
Nyathi (34), of House Number 60 Barbourfields, and Sibanda (45), of Stand Number 2372 Infill, Ascot in Gweru, pleaded not guilty to fraud but were convicted by Bulawayo magistrate Miss Marilyn Mtshina.
The court, with the consent of the prosecutor, Mr Admire Chikwayi, wants to apply for an extended sentencing jurisdiction as it felt the jurisdiction of 24 months would not meet the justice of the case.
Addressing the court in aggravation, Mr Chikwayi said the two accused had committed a serious economic crime, which affected the ordinary farmer and agri-based businesses.
He said the offence damaged the reputation of SeedCo as members of the public who bought the fake seed maze no longer have confidence in the company’s products.
Nyathi is one of the directors of Amigo Poultry Sales (Pvt) Ltd while Sibanda is a rural businessman.
The State case was that on a date unknown to the prosecution the pair teamed up and bought maize which they painted green to make it look like seed sold by seed houses.
They packed the painted seed into 10kg plastic bags bearing SeedCo SC 513 logo.
Between 17 and 25 October last year, the pair, using Sibanda’s pick-up truck delivered the fake seed to shops in Bulawayo and Gwanda.
Appearing alone Nyathi was again convicted of another charge of fraud and sentenced to 24 months in prison.
Six months of his sentence were suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence.
Mr Chikwayi, for the State proved that on a date and place unknown to the State, Nyathi painted seed maize with green paint to make it look like genuine seed maize from seed houses.
On 22 September last year, Nyathi sold 48x5kg fake SeedCo maize seed to a shop in the city. He was paid $384.
On 26 September the same year, he delivered 20x5kg of the fake seed to another shop so that it could be sold on his behalf on commission.
Online Reporter