Man up for exporting $1m jewellery
By Fungai Lupande
A 34-year-old Harare man is appearing in court on allegations of fraudulently exporting gold jewellery worth over one million dollars to Namibia and South Africa.
Malvern Chimutashu appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Bianca Makwande facing charges of “failing to acquit export documentation within 90 days of the date of raising the documentation unless an extension thereto has been duly granted by an exchange control authority”.
This is in contravention of the Exchange Control (Currency Exchange) Order, Statutory Instrument 9 of 2004.
He is facing four counts.
Prosecuting, Ms Ressy Nyamombe alleges that from January 30 to June 30 this year Chimutashu was granted authority by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe under CDI 0000771668 to export gold jewellery to the tune of $462 399,14 from Zimbabwe to Namibia.
It is alleged that Chimutashu exported the jewellery without seeking an extension from the exchange control authority or acquitting the export documents within the stipulated time frame.
The court heard that Chimutashu also failed to remit the proceeds into Zimbabwe. Chimutashu allegedly obtained the same documents for the period between May 18 to August 21 for the export of gold jewellery worth $181 388 to South Africa under CDI form 0000783987.
It is alleged that without seeking an extension, Chimutashu exported the jewellery and failed to remit the proceeds.
Using the same modus operandi, Chimutashu allegedly obtained another authority for June 16 to September 19 under CDI form number 0000788370.
It is alleged that he managed to export gold jewellery worth $273 619, 26 to South Africa.
The court heard that during the same period Chimutashu obtained a different CDI form number 0000788274 and exported $156 013, 80 worth of gold jewellery to South Africa. The total amount of jewellery exported was estimated at $1 073 420,04. The Herald
