2 more forex dealers jailed

TWO more illegal foreign currency dealers arrested by police, while changing money have been sentenced to effective terms of three months in jail.

Kudakwashe Welcome Maketo (24) and Ishmael Munashe Sakonda (29) were convicted separately of illegally trading in foreign currency by Harare magistrate Ms Ruth Moyo.

Maketo and Sakonda were initially sentenced to six months in prison, but three months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

Prosecutor Mrs Mandirasa Chigumira proved that the two committed the offences. She told the court that on August 1, 2024, police officers spotted Maketo, a resident of New Tafara, Harare, at Kamunhu shopping centre in Mabvuku, offering to buy foreign currency from passers-by in exchange for local currency. A team of detectives who were working undercover and armed with trap money approached Maketo to exchange money for US$20 at the rate of US$1 per ZiG16.

Maketo transferred a total of ZiG320 from his Econet mobile number to one of the police officers Zorodzai Wagoneka's Econet mobile in exchange for US$20.

Meanwhile, on July 29, detectives received information that Sakonda was illegally dealing in foreign currency at Glen Norah B shops and brought trap money in the form of a US$20 note with serial number PG 93084730B.