Man arrested for forging academic certificates

A 24-year-old Ruwa man who was arrested on allegations of forging academic documents appeared at the Harare Magistrates' Courts last Thursday and was remanded to March 1 on $100 bail.

Tatenda Munetsi appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Rumbidzai Mugwagwa facing charges of possessing articles for criminal use.

It is alleged that Munetsi, of 2554 Chinamaropa Road in Ruwa, operates a printing, photocopying and binding business at Eland Shopping Centre in Ruwa where the offences took place.

The court heard that on January 31 this year, police received a tip-off to the effect that Munetsi was producing fake academic certificates in Ruwa.

Acting on the tip-off, police detectives went to the said shopping centre and a search was carried and various items, including fake Zimbabwe School Examinations Council Ordinary Level certificates in the names of Emmalance Pabwe, Bridget V. Ziki and Yunicorn Fungai Jakata, were recovered.

It is further alleged that a fake Msasa Industrial Training College certificate in the name of Fanuel W. Lloyd, eight fake Zimbabwe Special Air Service certificates in the name of Corporal Kevin Sikosana and a Dell computer used by Munetsi to produce the fake certificates were also recovered from his business premises.

Prosecutor Miss Audrey Chogumaira told the court that the certificates were verified with the relevant authorities who confirmed that they were not authentic.