Rutendo Ngara
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
TWO Harare businessmen and a taxi driver allegedly used fake receipts to procure solar equipment worth US$41 000.
Globe Trotter Entertainment Centre managing director Ngoni Sabawu, Mashwede Holdings director Tendai Mashamhanda and taxi driver Sam Tinashe Muyandi have since appeared in court.
They were granted U$200 bail each and remanded to July 15.
The complainant is Caplaw Enterprises Private Limited and is represented by its general manager, Michael Steven Searing.
Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti alleged that on April 16, the accused led by one Thomas Karonga, who is still at large, approached Caplaw Enterprises with a fake purchase order.
The order allegedly falsely claimed they had been authorised by Energy Park Fuels to procure solar systems for its service stations across the country.
“To make the scheme appear credible, the accused took the complainant to Energy Park Service Station in Mbare for a site visit, showing where the solar systems were supposedly going to be installed.
“On May 22, Sabawu, Karonga, and another accomplice, Tawanda Chipembere, also still at large, hired a truck at Mbare Musika.
“They then collected seven sets of 15KVA solar systems valued at US$41 172 from Caplaw Enterprises, claiming they were destined for the Energy Park Mbare site.
“On May 27, the complainant visited Energy Park to confirm the installation of the solar systems, only to discover that Energy Park had not ordered any solar equipment,” the court heard.
After replaying CCTV footage at their offices, Caplaw Enterprises officials managed to identify Sabawu, his Mazda Demio vehicle, and his accomplices doing the transactions and he filed a police report.
It is alleged that following police investigations, Sabawu, Muyandi, and Mashamhanda were arrested.
Two solar panels were recovered from Muyandi, but the bulk of the stolen goods remain missing.
All in all, Caplaw Enterprises suffered a loss of US$41 172, with only US$200 worth of stolen property having been recovered so far.