Director of Satewave Technologies (Private) Limited, Tadiwanashe Machingaidze, last week appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court facing a US$47 000 fraud charge after she allegedly misrepresented to an investor that she had won a tender to supply drill bits to Shamva Gold Mine and was seeking additional capital.
Machingaidze was remanded in custody to today for bail application by magistrate Dennis Mangosi. The complainant was identified as Cairns Ryan Michael, director for Queen of Hearts Restaurant.
It is the State’s case that sometime this month, Machingaidze approached Michael and misrepresented to him that she was a co-director of Tech Global (Pvt) Limited, and had won a tender to supply special drill bits to Shamva Gold Mine, but she did not have enough money to fund the project.
She allegedly produced a fake purchase order purportedly raised by Shamva Gold Mine to Tech Global ordering 250 drill bits at US$ 86 000. She provided a pro forma invoice purportedly raised by a South African mining equipment supplier named Kori Engineering quoting the drill bits at US$47 000.
Michael allegedly fell for the scam and transferred US$47 000 to a First National Bank account that was on the pro forma invoice. Machingaidze then showed the complainant screenshots of emails and WhatsApp chats purportedly from Kori Engineering acknowledging receipt of the money and indicating delivery arrangements.
She also provided screenshots of her alleged communication with the mine’s procurement officers, Richard Hamadziripi and Chengetai Nyagweta. The complainant made arrangements and ha the drill bits shipped from South Africa to Harare through a courier company.
On July 25, 2023, the accused and the complainant drove to Shamva Gold Mine with 250 drill bits intending to supply the mine. Along the way to Shamva, the accused was receiving directions from the purported procurement officers being given directions.
On arrival, they allegedly parked outside as Machingaidze called the purported procurement officers. Michael became suspicious after waiting for some time and approached the mine’s chief stores controller, Mthulisi Mlopo, who told him the two were not employed by the company.
Mlopo inspected the drill bits and advised the complainant that they were sub-standard and they could only be sold at a price of US$5 each. The complainant approached Philip Mudumi, the director of Tech Global (Pvt) Limited, who disowned the purported procurement contract and indicated that the accused was neither a director nor shareholder of the company. The complainant reported the matter to police, leading to Machingaidze’s arrest.
Source Newsday
