THE trial of a suspected fraudster who was allegedly part of an organised syndicate that would misrepresent to Zimbabwean companies that they had free funds to pay suppliers in South Africa in exchange for transfers in local currency, and fleeced their victims of over R1,2 million, failed to open yesterday.
Allen Thindwa Mzamu had applied for a postponement before Harare regional magistrate Mr Clever Tsikwa on the grounds that his lawyer was not available. The application was upheld and the trial will now open on July 24.
Mzamu is facing three counts of fraud and one of possession of articles for criminal use, that being a fake ID card.
Prosecutor Mr Tendai Tapi is alleging that sometime in July 2019, Mzamu, who identified himself as Mhandu, called Isaac Nhindiri, who is the operations director for Sitaz Health Care, and offered to use free funds in South Africa to buy surgical supplies for the company and be paid locally.
Mzamu continuously inquired from Sitaz director Mr Zvakatarwa Makoto if he wanted to make any payment.
Mr Makoto later decided to buy a JCB TLB tractor loader and checked with Mzamu if payment could be made. On November 28, 2019, Mzamu confirmed that he had made payment of R953 925 for the tractor loader.
JCB Polokwane confirmed the payment through an email, which prompted Mr Makoto to transfer Z$1 363 538,61 into a CBZ account fraudulently registered as belonging to Dr Harrington and Associates.
When Mr Makoto released the money, Mzamu immediately recalled the R953 925 he had deposited into JCB Polokwane’s Nedbank account and used the cash to buy US dollars.
The money paid by Sitaz was transferred to individuals such as Devin Sabapwe, Solomon Magodhiyana, Wilfred Takudzwa Kapiya and Tinashe Ngwerume, who were selling US dollars to Mzamu.
The court heard that Sabapwe, Magodhiyana, Kapiya and Ngwerume were approached by the police and later on led to the arrest of Mzamu and Raymond John, his co-accused.
Upon their arrest, detectives searched the motor vehicle they were using, an Audi, and recovered a CBZ bank card in respect of Dr Richard James Harrington, a slip with the personal identification number in respect of the card and a Hisense cellphone with an Econet line, which was being used to call one of the witnesses.
Mzamu’s actions caused Mr Makoto to suffer a financial prejudice of R953 925 and nothing was recovered.
In a separate charge, the State alleged that from July 1 to July 30, 2019, at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, Harare, Mzamu unlawfully defrauded Prime Seed Co. He lied to Betserai Nyapfere of Prime Seed Co that he had free funds in South Africa and was able to pay R287 000 to its supplier in South Africa.
Prime Seed Co transferred Z$334 827 into the CBZ account fraudulently registered to Dr Harrington. Nothing was recovered.
On another charge, on January 28, 2020, at Criminal Investigations Department Commercial Crime Division, Harare, offices, Mzamu was found without lawful excuse to be in possession of a plastic Zimbabwe national identity card bearing his face, but with details for Adam Andrew.
It was used in committing fraud which forms the basis of that charge.
