A BRITISH tourist heaved a sigh of relief after a Victoria Falls magistrate acquitted him on allegations of being in possession of fake US dollar notes. Nokuthaba Dlamini Own correspondent
Mark Stephen Hill (42) was arrested last week in the resort town after being found in possession of fake $800 notes, but magistrate Sharon Rosemani said convicting him would have been unjust.
The magistrate ruled that Hill was a victim of fraud in South Africa and it would be prejudicial to charge him with being in possession of the fake notes.
“According to Section 61(c) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act Chapter 9:7 in this case our submissions are that the accused cannot be legally entitled on this case because the money was fake and it is said he was robbed in one of the money changing shops in South Africa considering he did not know or have ever seen US dollars,” she said.
“So we feel it can be prejudice to justice if he is held responsible for the case. Therefore, the courts find him not guilty of the offence.”
Prosecutor Listen Nare told the court that on November 3 at around 3pm, Hill arrived in Zimbabwe from South Africa.
He then went to immigration offices to pay for visas for himself and his wife.
Hill tendered $100 to one of the immigration officers, who discovered that the money was counterfeit.
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The matter was reported to top Zimbabwe Revenue Authority officials, who then searched him and found $700 in counterfeit notes.
The money was immediately seized and the matter reported to police, leading to his arrest.
Hill, who had been out on $500 bail after spending two nights in custody said he had changed the money in one of bureau de changes in South Africa and was not aware the notes were fake since in his country they only used pounds.
Hill and his wife had been on holiday in African countries for one month and Zimbabwe was their last stop.
