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Court Reporter
Chrised Investments Pvt Ltd Director who was being accused of defrauding ZIMRA of $846 152,37 using fake Value Added Tax invoices to claim refunds from the authority was yesterday acquitted at the close of the State’s case.

It was alleged that he manufactured supporting invoices purportedly issued by the suppliers before claiming vat refunds.

Edmore Kandira (35) was facing 10 counts of fraud.

The magistrate, Mr Nowel Mupeiwa, acquitted Kandira at the close of the State’s case.

“The element of misrepresentation is lacking and accused cannot be placed on his defence. He is discharged at the close of the State’s case, found not guilty and acquitted,” he said.

It was alleged that during the period from June 12, 2013 to January 21 this year, Kandira made applications for VAT refunds through his company, Chrised Investments Pvt Ltd.

In all his applications, it is alleged, Kandira attached supporting invoices reportedly issued by various companies in Mutare which supplied him with farming implements.

It was alleged that he misrepresented to zimra officials that he was into extensive farming at five rented farms in Chipinge and Raffingora.

The applications were processed by the zimra VAT returns section, which then referred them to the accounts department for payment.

Sometime in January this year, as usual, Kandira submitted another application for refund, but an alert official noted the anomalies on the dates stamped on the fake invoices, the court heard.

The whole company file was referred to the zimra audit section for further investigations.

Investigations revealed the alleged suppliers were non-existent. Further inquiries with the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement revealed that the alleged farms in Chipinge and Raffingora did not exist.

Kandira was then arrested and in total zimra lost $846 152,37.

Nothing has been recovered.