A Beatrice man will spend five years behind bars for having diamonds. Police caught Cephas Mukombwe with two stones worth about $175. He tried selling them with help from Emanuel Chikono, who talked to an undercover officer. They met in downtown Harare, where police searched him. Mukombwe handed over the diamonds from his wallet.
Experts tested the stones—real diamonds weighing 1.64 carats. The 45-year-old claimed he found them making bricks and planned to give them to the police when arrested. He told the court he never knew that keeping precious stones without permission was illegal. The prosecutor called his story unbelievable.
The magistrate agreed with the government lawyer that not knowing the law cannot excuse breaking it. Only people with permits can handle such valuable minerals. The tough sentence aims to stop illegal diamond trading. Mr. Matova wants to protect national resources from unlawful dealers. The case shows how seriously Zimbabwe takes control of its diamond industry.
Experts tested the stones—real diamonds weighing 1.64 carats. The 45-year-old claimed he found them making bricks and planned to give them to the police when arrested. He told the court he never knew that keeping precious stones without permission was illegal. The prosecutor called his story unbelievable.
The magistrate agreed with the government lawyer that not knowing the law cannot excuse breaking it. Only people with permits can handle such valuable minerals. The tough sentence aims to stop illegal diamond trading. Mr. Matova wants to protect national resources from unlawful dealers. The case shows how seriously Zimbabwe takes control of its diamond industry.
