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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