Zimpapers Logo

Court Reporter
DEPUTY Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Douglas Karoro, is today expected back in court for bail application on charges of misappropriating US$70 330 worth of inputs under the Presidential Inputs Scheme.

The inputs were set to benefit farmers in Mbire constituency, Mashonaland Central province.

Karoro spent the weekend behind bars after he appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court on Saturday charged with fraud. He is jointly charged with Jeremy Phiri and Dean Dzimunya.

It is the State’s case that sometime in April this year Karoro approached Phiri and told him that he was looking for buyers of 700 bags of Compound “D’’ fertiliser.

Karoro was allegedly selling each bag at US$16. Phiri is said to have contacted Widdorn Chiodza telling him of the fertiliser which was on offer.

The court heard that Chiodza showed interest in buying the fertilisers.

On April 21, Phiri, according to the State, met Chiodza who then paid him US$10 700.

It is said that Phiri then took the money to Karoro, who told him that the fertiliser was at GMB Mushumbi depot.

On that same day, at around 3pm, Karoro called Lovejoy Ngowe, GMB Mushumbi depot manager, and told him that he was sending some trucks to collect his Compound D fertiliser.

Ngowe allegedly asked for details of the trucks and was given Zimunya’s contact details. On April 22, 2022 Chiodza took three trucks to GMB Mushumbi depot and 700 x 50kg bags of Compound D fertiliser were released.

Ngowe is said to have issued them with Goods Dispatched Vouchers in the name Karoro.

Chiodza is said to have returned to Harare and offloaded the fertiliser at his place in Kuwadzana.

On the following day, Chiodza allegedly received a call from Zimunya instructing him to return the fertiliser saying the deal had gone sour.

Chiodza refused, according to the State. Zimunya and Karoro allegedly then engaged Mugove Chidamba to help them recover the fertiliser from Chiodza.

On April 24, 2022, Chidamba went to Chiodza’s place for negotiations and managed to recover 400x50kg Compound D fertiliser and refunded him US$6 400.

Karoro and Chidamba allegedly hired Richard Tsiga, a transporter to ferry the recovered 400 bags to GMB Aspindale purporting that they wanted to swap with Ammonium Nitrate.

Chidamba is said to have sourced another 300 bags of Compound D from Farm and City. On the following day, Karoro allegedly escorted Tsiga with a truck loaded with 400 bags of Compound D fertiliser to GMB Aspindale for the swap deal.

It is said that GMB Aspindale refused to accept the fertiliser on grounds that his documentation was questionable.

The court heard that Karoro intervened and negotiated for the swap with the Aspindale GMB Chain Supply Manager Obert Zhoya. It is said that Zhoya then instructed Ngowe to raise depot-to-depot transfer so that they could accept the fertiliser at GMB Aspindale.

Ngowe allegedly raised the depot-to-depot transfer vouchers and sent them to GMB Aspindale, which then accepted 400 bags of Compound D Fertilizer.

Tsiga’s truck was then loaded with 400 Ammonium Nitrate and destined for GMB Mushumbi depot.

Karoro allegedly sent another truck with 300 bags of Compound D to GMB Aspindale for another swap.

The court heard that GMB Aspindale then opted to use their truck to ferry the swapped 300 bags of Ammonium Nitrate to GMB Mushumbi with depot-to-depot transfer Voucher.

On April 29 Ngowe allegedly confirmed receipt of the 300 bags of Ammonium Nitrate from GMB Aspindale. It is said that GMB Aspindale Chain Supply Manager quizzed Ngowe on the whereabouts of the first truck which was loaded with 400 bags of Ammonium Nitrate destined for Mushumbi depot and he indicated that he had not received the consignment.

GMB Aspindale asked Karoro to return the 400 bags of Ammonium Nitrate and he then contacted Tsiga, who told him that the fertilisers were offloaded at Chidamba’’s place.

Karoro then allegedly went to Mbare in Harare at a place known as Kuma Banana and recovered 200 bags of Ammonium Nitrate before he engaged Tsiga to take them back to GMB Aspindale.

The court heard that Karoro asked Chidamba to look for the remaining 200 bags of Ammonium Nitrate.

According to the State, on April 30, Chidamba went to Dzivarasekwa where he bought 69 bags of cotton calcium ammonium nitrate and 132 bags of calcium ammonium nitrate, which were then transported back to GMB Aspindale in the presence of Karoro.

The State alleges that the stolen fertilisers were worth US$27 300 and suspected fake 501 bags of fertiliser were recovered.

On March 7, Ngowe allegedly received 30 050 tonnes of seed maize worth US$18 030 which was meant for Presidential Input Programme to benefit the Mbire Constituency.

It is alleged that he then connived with Karoro and converted them to their own use.

On March 23 Karoro allegedly received 5 000 Vegetable Combo kits from Valley Seed Private Limited, which were supposed to be handed over to GMB Mushumbi under the Presidential Input Programme.

Karoro allegedly connived with Ngowe and converted the seed into their own use.