FOUR STEAL PRESIDENTIAL FERTILISER, MIX IT WITH SOIL GRANULES FOR RESALE

Four people were arrested late last week in Chinhoyi and Harare for unlawfully possessing Presidential farming inputs and then mixing these with anthill soil granules and selling it in fake bags as tobacco blend fertiliser.

Some of them were caught red-handed mixing the Windmill Compound D, Superfert Compound D and Superfert Cotton Blend fertilisers from the Presidential Inputs Scheme with useless additives.

Giving details of the arrest, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said: “The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms the arrest of Johanne Mupope (40), Shacky Gombe (35), Sean Joubert (32) and Charles Gumbeze (41) for cases of fraud and unlawful acquisition of Presidential farming inputs which occurred between 19 and 22 October 2022 in Chinhoyi and Harare.

“The police acted on a report of suspiciously packaged 450 bags, each of 50kg, of Kynoch tobacco blend fertiliser, which had been delivered to two complainants in Banket,” he said.

“Police made some follow-ups leading to the arrest of two suspects, Johanne Mupope and Shacky Gombe, who had delivered the fertilisers from Harare to the complainants.

“The suspects led the detectives to Tynwald Plots in Harare, where Sean Joubert, together with eight others, were found blending and mixing Windmill Compound D, Superfert Compound D and Superfert Cotton Blend fertilisers.

“The fertilisers had been given to farmers under the current Presidential Farming Inputs Scheme and were mixed with anthill granules before being packaged in counterfeit Kynoch branded 50kg bags allegedly manufactured in Mbare, Harare.

“Sean Joubert implicated Charles Gumbeze as the supplier of the fertilisers leading to his subsequent arrest,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

He said Charles Gumbeze indicated that he received the Presidential inputs fertiliser from farmers in Rutenga, Chiredzi and Bulawayo.

Police recovered 362x50kgs of Kynoch counterfeit tobacco blend fertiliser, 240x50kgs of anthill granules, 90x50kgs mixed presidential inputs fertilizers, 652x50kgs Kynock branded empty bags, one electric sewing machine, 12 volts battery, an inverter, one roll sewing thread and US$14 570 at the suspects’ Tynwald s.

Police have since urged farmers to buy farming inputs from reputable suppliers and warns those abusing inputs benefited from the Government’s Presidential Inputs Scheme that the law will take its course.

Yesterday Sean Joubert (32) and Charles Gumbeze (41) appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi on charges of fraud, forgery and unlawful possession, purchase and sell of agricultural inputs charges when they .

They were granted $50 000 bail each.

The court heard that on October 5 Joubert called the complainant and misrepresented that he had 30 tonnes of fertiliser which was affected by water, but still good for farming.

The complainant was interested and paid Joubert US$18 000. Herald

It is the State’s case that Joubert and Gumbeze connived with another accomplice, who is still at large and only identified as Cliff to produce fake Kynoch fertiliser. They were caught mixing and packing the fake fertiliser. Herald

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