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Nyore Madzianike
SIBLINGS found with sacks containing Zimbabwe dollar notes stashed in their car in Harare in 2021 had their Honda Airwave and cash forfeited to the State last week after a High Court judge ruled that the two were illegally dealing in foreign currency.
Justice Benjamin Chikowero made the ruling for the seizure of the car and the money last Wednesday.
Samuel Tererai Chiodze and his sister, Ratidzai Lydia Chiodze, lost the money, which was equivalent to US$16 386,19 at that time and the car after chief law officer Mr Chris Mutangadura applied for civil forfeiture of the assets at the High Court on behalf of the Prosecutor-General.
The siblings, suspected to be money changers, resided at 41 Southland Flats, Mazowe Street, in the capital.
In last Wednesday’s ruling, Justice Chikowero said Samuel and his sister’s failure to oppose the Prosecutor-General’s application for forfeiture of the money left the court satisfied that it was tainted.
“I have already found that the money which was in the car is proceeds of a serious crime. I have forfeited the money to the State.
“The fate of the car is inseparable from that of the money. The resort to the use of the two sacks is indicative of at least two things.
“First, to conceal the fact that it was money which was contained in those sacks. This is demonstrated by the fact that although the investigators saw the sacks even as the car was locked and parked at the bay on 24 September 2021, it was only upon emptying the sacks after the locksmith had unlocked the car that they knew what it was that was in the motor vehicle. This was on 1 October 2021.”
The judge added: “Secondly, the money stashed in those sacks, both in terms of volume and value at that time, was huge documentary evidence obtained from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and placed before the court by the applicant. This evidence was not controverted by the second respondent.”
Justice Chikowero said no one has explained the origins of the money and why it was stashed in a locked car in the first respondent’s (Samuel) parking bay.
Hiding and storage of the money in the car, Justice Chikowero said, meant Ratidzai was instrumental in the commission of the serious offence.
“It made the motor vehicle tainted property,” the judge said.
On September 24, 2021, the police, who were undertaking an operation targeting illegal foreign currency dealers, went to the siblings’ residence after being told that they were illegally trading in forex.
Samuel refused to unlock the vehicle, claiming he did not have the keys.
Police hired the services of a locksmith on October 1, 2021, and discovered that the two sacks contained wads of Zimbabwe dollar (bond) notes worth $1 436 500, equivalent to US$16 386,19 at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe official exchange rate at that time.
Online Reporter