A 28-YEAR-OLD Chinese businessman yesterday appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court charged with illegally selling Zimbabwe flags and was fined $20 or in default of payment to serve a five-day jail term.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
The convict, Weidong Li, who operates a retail shop at the Gulf Complex in the city, pleaded guilty to the charge, when he appeared before provincial magistrate, Tendai Mahwe.
In passing the sentence, Mahwe said he had considered Li was a first offender, who also had pleaded guilty to the charge without wasting the court’s time.
“As a first offender, who pleaded guilty, who bought the flags in China and was selling them for a profit, your moral blameworthiness is low and I will take into consideration that you will lose your flags, which are going to be forfeited to the State,” Mahwe said.
According to the State, on October 21 this year at around 5pm, police officers were on patrol, when they approached Li’s shop at the Gulf Complex and discovered him displaying and offering Zimbabwe flags for sale.
The officers then questioned the shop manager, Jimmy Kasengezi, who then implicated Li, leading to his arrest.
When investigations were carried out, the officers established that Li was selling the flags without permission from the government in terms of section 5 of the Flag of Zimbabwe Act.
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At least 314 flags were forfeited to the State.
