The ManicaPost
Lovemore Kadzura Rusape Correspondent—
A RUSAPE businessman who accessed command agriculture inputs while he does not have a farm and allegedly sold the inputs at his hardware was arrested this week.
| He appeared before Rusape magistrate, Mrs Elizabeth Hanzi yesterday (Thursday) facing fraud charges and was remanded out of custody on $80 bail to January 13 for trial. |
Washington Manyuchi (35) the owner of Golden Yellow Hardware was allegedly given inputs enough to plant 20 hectares of maize, but only planted two hectares and diverted the remainder to his hardware.
Rusape District police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Muzondiwa Clean, confirmed the arrest of Manyuchi and said he was given 160x50kgs of fertiliser valued at $4 880 but when a verification team visited Wakefield Farm where he is renting two hectares, they discovered that $3 546 worth of inputs were missing.
“Yes, I can confirm that Washington Manyuchi was arrested on Wednesday evening and spent the night in our holding cells. He was arrested in connection with the inputs he was given under the command agriculture scheme on November 10.
“Command agriculture Makoni District team received a tip-off that Manyuchi was selling inputs he was allocated. A verification exercise was done and it was discovered that he had only planted two hectares and failed to account for 144x50kgs bags of compound D fertiliser.
“Manyuchi was asked about the missing inputs and he said he had sold them. A police report was made and he was arrested and charged with fraud,” said Assistant Inspector Clean.
Manyuchi was represented by Mr Taurai Khupe of Khupe Law Chambers, who said his client was pleading not guilty.
Manyuchi becomes the third command agriculture beneficiary to be arrested in Makoni District on allegations of abusing the inputs.
The two others are Stanley Sakupwanya (Jnr) and Godfrey Gwanyamwanya who were nabbed last month.
