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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A suspected fraudster who has been on the run since 2011 for theft of 2 000 tonnes of fertiliser worth more than US$400 000 belonging to a South African company, has finally been arrested. Farai Gwekwerere (35) allegedly connived with Raymond Phiri and three others who are all still at large and stole truckloads of fertiliser worth US$414 700 which were in transit to Zambia from a South African company, Boss Logistics.
The consignment had been stored at Bak Storage in Harare, awaiting transportation.
Gwekwerere appeared at the magistrates’ court sometime in 2011 and was remanded in custody before he was released on bail by the High Court.
Since then Gwekwerere never returned to court and went on the run only to be arrested last week on Saturday.
Gwekwerere yesterday appeared before magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei who asked him why he had defaulted court since 2011.
He claimed he hajmjghjhjd gone out of the country for an eye operation which he said was removed.
Prosecutor Mr Michael Reza dismissed his claims saying, “Your worship the accused person has always had one eye and all the drivers he subcontracted to transport the fertiliser to his buyers, knew they had dealt with a man with one eye.”
Mr Ndirowei remanded him in custody to December 3 after the prosecution opposed bail.
It is the State’s case that in September 2008, Boss Logistics company was contracted by Sasolburg Omnia company to transport 2 000 tonnes of fertiliser from Johannesburg to Zambia.
The fertiliser was transported by rail and delivered at Bak Storage in Harare from where it was to be reloaded into trucks and transported by road to Zambia.
Towards the end of September, Gwekwerere came to know of the consignment and phoned an official from Boss Logistics seeking a contract to transport the fertiliser to Zambia which he was awarded.
Gwekwerere was asked to provide his business details and he sent an email to Boss Logistics with an attachment of Mega Logistics letterhead bearing fake Mt Pleasant and Ruwa addresses which he highlighted as his business addresses.
He then allegedly incorporated his accomplices only identified as Phiri, Vincent, Tendai and Hendricks.
The gang then subcontracted various transporters whom they instructed to load the tonnes of fertiliser after misrepresenting that they were the owners. It is further alleged that Gwekwerere and his crew ordered the transporters to transport the fertiliser to their buyers in Zambia.
The offence came to light when Boss Logistics discovered that the fertiliser had not reached its intended destination.
All the transport owners identified Gwekwerere as the person who had claimed ownership of the fertiliser before hiring them leading to his arrest in 2011.
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