Harare businessman Tonderai Chaponda has been accused of defrauding Karen Bernadine Culfear by misrepresentation of facts that the two were going start a company together.
Circumstances surrounding the matter are that, in April 2018, Culfear met Chaponda in person in Harare. After a discussion, Chaponda advised Culfear to purchase all the business equipment they needed and the two parties agreed to start a company.
The two went to China to help each other identify the said equipment, with the complainant meeting all the costs.
Upon arrival, on November 5 2018, Culfear paid US$34 790.00 and when the consignment arrived in Zimbabwe, Culfear was made to believe that the duty for the equipment was US$11 000.00. The complainant transferred the said amount to the respondent’s account.
The court heard that after further inquiry, Chaponda started being elusive, avoiding Culfear’s call. The court further heard that the accused person told Culfear that he was now operating a company, Ominal Enterprises which is the second respondent, without her as co-owner.
Culfear told the court that,despite persistent demands, the first respondent could not give her back possession of the equipment that she purchased.
Records have revealed that Chaponda was in 2016 dragged to court by MDC-T legislator, Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga after she also struggled to recover her vehicle.
According to Herald, Misihairabwi dragged Chaponda to the High Court claiming her Jeep Cherokee.
Misihairabwi also claiming $120 per day, as holding over damages calculated from the date of summons to the date of release of the vehicle.
It is understood that Chaponda failed to return the vehicle and Misihairabwi sought an order authorizing the Sheriff and the police to seize the car. In the plaintiff’s declaration, Misihairabwi said she took her vehicle, registration number ACF 3998 to Chaponda for panel beating in September 2014.
Chaponda charged $8 000 for the job, which Misihairabwi fully paid. On April 15 last year, Misihairabwi checked the progress of the vehicle through her employee, only to discover that Chaponda had since finished the job, but was unlawfully using the vehicle for his personal errands.
Chaponda was also implicated in yet another matter were some Dynamos jerseys were stolen, but he was the complainant in 2014.
The court heard that on July 8, 2014, Chaponda was contracted by BancABC to transport replica soccer jerseys for Dynamos from Bulawayo to Harare.
The soccer uniforms were packed in 19 bags.
Also in the same consignment were 495 round collar Tanganda T-shirts to be delivered to Tanganda Tea Company head office in Harare.
The bags were in the trailer of a Toyota Hilux truck driven by John Mupekeni.
Mupekeni only discovered that his load had been tampered with when he stopped over in Chegutu and filed a police report.
