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Court Reporter
TWO suspected con-artists appeared in court last week on allegations of repackaging bags of fertiliser they got under the Command Agriculture scheme and mixed it with sand before selling to unsuspecting farmers.
Raymond Mbedzi (28) and Tatenda Chimuriwo both from Budiriro, Harare, appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje charged with fraud.
They were not asked to plead to the charges.
Prosecuting, Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti had it that between January and March this year, the two allegedly misrepresented to the Government that they wanted Command Agriculture fertilisers for the 2021/2022 farming season.
Acting on the misrepresentation, the Government allocated two tonnes of Command Agriculture fertilisers obtained from Windmill (Pvt) Ltd and Superfert (Pvt) Ltd, to the two.
After receiving the fertiliser, they allegedly took the fertiliser to a rented warehouse located at Cold Storage Company (CSC) where they would remove a portion of the fertiliser from each 50kg bag and refill with sand.
It is alleged that they would repackage in bags branded Windmill (Pvt) Ltd or Superfert (Pvt) Ltd 50kg bags to appear as if it was genuine fertiliser.
Officers from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) received reports of the conduct of the two, and applied for a warrant of search and seizure.
They then approached the two at their Cold Storage Warehouse in Southerton.
The officers recovered 170 Command Agriculture empty bags, 698 bags of Windmill, 44 bags of Superfert Command Agriculture fertiliser, scales and sack sawing machine used by the two.
It is said their actions caused the Government to lose US$35 496 and good administration of the Command Agriculture Programme.
The two were remanded in custody to today for bail application.
Online Reporter