The director of Maleads Incorporated PVT LTD last week appeared in court on allegations of defrauding an suspecting complainant of his US$35 000 in a botched cash transfer deal.
Bruce Bernard Chiweshe (44) was facing fraud charges when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi.
He was freed on US$300 bail.
It is the State’s case that on March 15 2024, Chiweshe together with his accomplices namely Linnety Chihwayi who is already on remand under CRB number…… and Panashe who is still at large to hatched a plan to defraud the complainant of US35000.
The court heard that Chiweshe contacted witness Francis Nyika and misrepresented to him that he was in need of US$76 792 in exchange for transfer of the same amount in his Nostro CB2 account. 5. The witness Francis Nyika informed the complainant who was interested in the deal and ordered the transfer to be done first before he could release the above mentioned amount.
Chiweshe together with his accomplices manufactured a fake Proof of Payment [POP] which purported as if he had transferred US$76792.0 from First Capital Bank account number XXXXXXX1471 which belonged to Glens Removals & Storage with refererice number FM5998 into Mount Meru Petrolium CBZ account number 24890150031. 7. However, the complainant was reluctant to release payment citing that the money had not reflected into his company account mentioned above.
At about 1600 hours the same day the accused Bruce Benard Chiweshe sent his two accomplices mentioned above to the complainant’s office situated af number 20 Palma road Milton Park Harare to collect payment knowing fully that he had not transferred any amount to the complainant’s company account.
When the two accomplices arrived at the complainant’s office, the accused contacted the complainant and misrepresented to him the Proof of Payment was genuine and the complainant released US$20000 to the accused’s accomplices mentioned above.
On the March 18 2024, Chiweshe reassured the complainant that his transfer was going to be effected and the complainant further released US$15000.00 cash to the accused’s accomplices.
The complainant later discovered that the Proof of Payment was fake and reported the case to the Police.
The total prejudice is US$35000 and nothing was recovered.
