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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
A CLEARING agent allegedly forged certificates and documents pretending to be a grain broker in a bid to import maize-meal from South Africa.

Trouble Mupfure (44) is accused of prejudicing the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development of its good administration.

He appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo recently and was granted $100 bail.

He is facing fraud charges.

The prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that sometime in February this year Mupfure wanted to import maize-meal from South Africa.

The court heard that it was required of him to have an import certificate.

On February 19, Mupfure allegedly misrepresented to the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development that he was employed by Eberton Brokers (Pvt) Ltd.

He subsequently submitted an application for a permit to import maize meal.

The court heard that Eberton Brokers is registered with the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development.

Mupfure allegedly submitted forged photocopies of Agricultural Marketing Authority certificate of registration as a grain broker and a tax clearance certificate for Eberton Brokers.

He was asked to leave the copies pending processing of the documents.

It was later discovered that the Agricultural Marketing Authority Certificate of registration was forged.

The certificate number was appearing under the name of Mid Cut Enterprises and not Eberton Brokers as purported by Mupfure.

On February 22, the ministry’s plant health inspector, Kudakwashe Primrose Nyaruwata advised her superiors of the anomaly.

The matter was reported to the police leading to Mupfure’s arrest.