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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A Harare magistrate has ruled that the three people arrested for allegedly printing counterfeit American and South African bank notes in Sunningdale are not candidates for bail and should remain in custody.

Mr Tendai Mahwe said the trio’s actions have a bearing on the country’s economy.

“After hearing submissions from both counsels, it is the court’s view that these accused persons are not suitable candidates for bail. The State’s case against them is strong considering they were arrested while in the act and chances of conviction are high.

“Their offence has a bearing on the national economy, you can imagine if a country has a printing press producing fake money, the economy will definitely collapse in a short time. Therefore it is not in the interest of justice to grant them bail because the offence they committed is of national interest,” he said.

Acting on a tip-off, police arrested Wonder Panashe (35), Edgar Kadawu (33) and Melonisha Karuma (18) while they were busy printing the fake notes.

They recovered $1 000 in fake $20, $50 and $10 notes and fake R100 notes, printers, bond paper and metal rulers.

When they initially appeared in court on Thursday, prosecutor Mrs Idah Mateke-Maromo, opposed bail while the trio’s lawyer Mr Tungamirai Chakurira said his clients were proper candidates for bail.

Mr Mahwe yesterday then ruled in favour of the State and remanded the three, who are charged with possessing tools for criminal use, in custody to August 7.

It is the State’s case that cops got a tip-off on July 20, that the three were printing fake notes at house Number 15887, Sunningdale 2.

They visited the house where they found Panashe smoking mbanje in the company of Elton Nyamudahondo who escaped, while Panashe was arrested.

Police found Panashe in possession of fake $20 notes amounting to $100 and a fake R100 bills.

He led the detectives into the house where Kadawu and Karuma were caught red-handed printing fake notes.

It is alleged they were making $50, $20 and $10 notes. Further searches in the house led to the recovery of four printers, bond paper and metal rulers.