Maize-meal thief posed as Deputy Comm-Gen

Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
A Harare man who impersonated Deputy Commissioner-General Innocent Matibiri and defrauded Blue Ribbon Foods Limited of maize-meal and wheat bran worth $8 000 has been jailed for one year.

Stanislaus Mukawo of Mufakose, Harare, was sentenced last Friday to two and a half years in prison on seven counts of fraud.

However, Harare magistrate Mrs Tilda Mazhande suspended one year on condition he pays back Blue Ribbon Foods the $7 830.

Furthermore, six months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

The complainant was Blue Ribbon Foods Limited represented by its finance manager, Ms Eustice Mubvurungwa.

The prosecutor, Ms Tariro Gwatidzo, said on several occasions from October 2014, Mukawo visited Blue Ribbon Foods Limited buying small quantities of mealie-meal and wheat bran purporting he was sent by Deputy Comm-Gen Matibiri.

Mukawo indicated that the goods were for Deputy Comm-Gen Matibiri’s piggery at his Chidzidzi Farm.

Sometimes Mukawo placed cash orders through phone calls to Ms Mubvurungwa. Sometime in July last year Mukawo phoned Ms Mubvurungwa using mobile number 0782 421 929 misrepresenting that he was Deputy Comm-Gen Matibiri.

He asked Ms Mubvurungwa to authorise him to purchase bulk mealie-meal and wheat bran on a 30 day credit plan, indicating that he had the capacity to pay.

After sweet talking the finance manager, Mukawo managed to walk away with 1 000 x 10kg and 40 x 50kg of Chibataura roller meal valued at $5 430.

He also obtained 400 x 25kg and 250 x 20kg of wheat bran valued at $2 400.

On March 10, this year Dep Comm-Gen Matibiri was served with High Court summons for non-payment of $7 830.

He filed a police report and detectives followed up on some of the vehicles used to ferry the loot.

The drivers Tonderai Machingura, Tinashe Rusike and Tendai Muchenge were picked up. They implicated Mukawo and said they delivered the goods at Tabeth Mudzamiri’s house in Graniteside Flats, Ardbennie, Harare.

On March 15, 2016 a trap was set for Mukawo and he was arrested outside the gates of another milling company, Victoria Foods in Harare’s Willowvale industrial area.