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Dwight Eric Haynes

Fungai Lupande Senior Court Reporter
An American pastor, Dwight Eric Haynes, appeared in court on Tuesday on allegations of forging immigration papers to attend the Zimbabwe Conference of Sabbath Keeping Adventists Church two years ago. The court heard that acting on the misrepresentation, the church employed Pastor Haynes and gave him money to process his work permit, which he squandered.

Haynes (61) appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Josephine Sande facing charges of fraud. He was granted $200 bail and ordered to surrender his passport, report twice a week at CID CCD Harare and to reside at his address pending finalisation of the matter. Haynes, an American citizen, is expected back in court on November 10.

The court heard that sometime in 2013, the Zimbabwe Conference of Sabbath Keeping Adventists Church employed Haynes. It is alleged that as a foreigner, the church agreed to apply and pay for his work permit. On October 6 last year, Haynes requested $1 500 from the church for his temporal employment permit. The money was transferred into Haynes’ Barclays Bank account and instead of paying for the permit, it is alleged that he converted the money to his personal use.

The prosecutor Ms Tatenda Murindagomo alleged that on October 15, 2015, Haynes forged a Zimbabwe immigration receipt number R2211036 with a value of $1 500. It is alleged that he tendered the receipt to the Zimbabwe Conference of Sabbath Keeping Adventists Church as proof of payment. Zimbabwe Conference of Sabbath Keeping Adventists Church believed that the receipt was genuine and they considered it in their reconciliation. The offence came to light after the church received a tip off that the receipt was fake. They contacted the Immigration Control who confirmed that the receipt was indeed forged. Ms Murindagomo said because of Haynes’ action, the church suffered prejudice to its good administration.