TWO suspects were last week arrested for allegedly accessing fertilisers under the Command Agriculture scheme before repackaging it, mixing it with sand, and selling it to unsuspecting farmers.
Tatenda Chimuriwo, 27, and Raymond Mbedzi, 28, appeared before regional magistrate Stanford Mambanje on allegations of fraud with the State opposing their admission to bail. The State alleges that between January and March 2022, the suspects came with a plan to defraud the government of millions of dollars and misrepresented that they wanted fertilisers from the scheme for the 2021-2022 farming season.
Acting on the misrepresentation, it is alleged that the government provided them with tonnes of fertiliser which were obtained from Windmill and Superfert. It is alleged that after the suspects received the fertiliser from the Command Agriculture facility they took it to a rented warehouse at the Cold Storage Company (CSC) in Harare.
It is alleged that they removed a portion of the fertiliser from each 50kg bag of the product and replaced it with the same kilogrammes of sand.
Claims are that the suspects would repackage the fertiliser mixed with sand in either Windmill Pvt Ltd or Superfert 50kg bags, hiding the Command Agriculture element.
Further allegations are that apart from accessing Command Agriculture fertiliser, they would purchase the product from other companies and also mix it with sand before selling it to unsuspecting farmers.
Allegations are that the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) got wind of the illegal action and applied for a warrant of search and seizure.
They went to the warehouse and recovered 170 Command Agriculture empty bags, 698 bags of Windmill fertiliser mixed with sand, 44 Bags of Superfert command fertiliser, scales and sack sawing machine used by the suspects.
Lancelot Mutsokoti appeared for the State.