Nyanga farmers duped beans worth US$8 000

A conman who last year duped 20 Nyakomba horticulture farmers of their sugar beans valued at US$8 000 has been arrested and jailed for the offence.

Clive Maquinge (41) of Budiriro 5 in Harare was not represented when he recently appeared before Nyanga magistrate, Mrs Constance Marutya, facing 20 counts of theft of trust property.

He pleaded not guilty but was convicted after a full trial.

Maquinge was sentenced to five years imprisonment, of which six months were suspended on condition of good behaviour, while 54 months were set aside on condition that he restitutes the 20 complainants US$7 986 by December 30, 2022.

He will serve an effective 14 months. Prosecuting, Mrs Vimbai Rundare said Maquinge used an unregistered company, Lantrish Fresh (Pvt) Ltd, to collect various quantities of sugar beans from the unsuspecting farmers.

He then vanished.

An affidavit from the Department of Deeds, Companies and Intellectual Property’s Principal Examiner that was produced in court confirmed that Lantrish Fresh is not a registered company.

Mrs Rundare said: “Sometime between July 17, 2021 and September 15, 2021 and at Nyakomba Business Centre, the complainants gave Maquinge varying quantities of sugar beans for him to sell and hand-over US$7 986 to the farmers.

“The agreed price was US$1,40 per kilogramme of the sugar beans. The accused person went and sold the beans, but did not pay the farmers. He also did not return the beans despite the farmers’ relentless efforts to get what was due to them. The value of the stolen sugar beans is US$7 986 and nothing was recovered.”