News / Local
Forged certificate lands mines ministry officials in court
17 Jul 2014 at 06:35hrs | Views
TWO Ministry of Mines and Mining Development employees appeared in court yesterday charged with forgery.
An administrator, Calvin Mugudi, 30, and an accountant, Caiphas Mashura, 31, who are both stationed at the ministry's Bulawayo offices allegedly connived and processed a fake mining certificate for Ephraim Khoza at a fee of $510 which they pocketed.
Mugudi pleaded guilty to the charge while his counterpart, Mashura denied the allegations. Mugudi will serve 420 hours of community service at Queens Park Police Station while Mashura was remanded to July 30 on $100 bail by Plumtree magistrate, Gideon Ruvetsa.
Prosecutor, Stanley Chinyanganya said on July 11, Khoza visited the Ministry of Mines offices in Bulawayo seeking a mining certificate.
Mashura, the court heard received $510 as payment for processing the document, and proceeded to Mugudi and the pair forged a fake mining certificate for Khoza.
"Instead of issuing Khoza with an original certificate they gave him a mining certificate belonging to Dzikuri Musundire and wrote Khoza's name on it and the name of his mine.
"Khoza was then arrested on a later day for using a fake certificate and he then revealed that Mugudi and Mashura had given him the certificate as a legitimate one. He also revealed that he paid for the service which resulted in their arrest," he said.
"Mashura after being arrested led the police to his home in Entumbane where they recovered the money."
Mugudi said he took part in forging the document, but denied receiving payment $510 from his counterpart.
"I did assist in forging the mining certificate for Khoza but I was not aware that my colleague had accepted $510 from the client. Caiphas told me the client had paid $200 and had said he would come with the remaining $310 on a later date. I only saw $200," he said.
Mugudi was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment of which six months were suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the period.
The remaining 12 months were suspended on condition that he performs 420 hours of community service at Queens Park Police Station.
Khoza is expected to appear in court on 30 July for using a fake mining certificate.
An administrator, Calvin Mugudi, 30, and an accountant, Caiphas Mashura, 31, who are both stationed at the ministry's Bulawayo offices allegedly connived and processed a fake mining certificate for Ephraim Khoza at a fee of $510 which they pocketed.
Mugudi pleaded guilty to the charge while his counterpart, Mashura denied the allegations. Mugudi will serve 420 hours of community service at Queens Park Police Station while Mashura was remanded to July 30 on $100 bail by Plumtree magistrate, Gideon Ruvetsa.
Prosecutor, Stanley Chinyanganya said on July 11, Khoza visited the Ministry of Mines offices in Bulawayo seeking a mining certificate.
Mashura, the court heard received $510 as payment for processing the document, and proceeded to Mugudi and the pair forged a fake mining certificate for Khoza.
"Instead of issuing Khoza with an original certificate they gave him a mining certificate belonging to Dzikuri Musundire and wrote Khoza's name on it and the name of his mine.
"Mashura after being arrested led the police to his home in Entumbane where they recovered the money."
Mugudi said he took part in forging the document, but denied receiving payment $510 from his counterpart.
"I did assist in forging the mining certificate for Khoza but I was not aware that my colleague had accepted $510 from the client. Caiphas told me the client had paid $200 and had said he would come with the remaining $310 on a later date. I only saw $200," he said.
Mugudi was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment of which six months were suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the period.
The remaining 12 months were suspended on condition that he performs 420 hours of community service at Queens Park Police Station.
Khoza is expected to appear in court on 30 July for using a fake mining certificate.
Source - chronicle
