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Court Reporter
A director and manager of Rannot Freight (Pvt) Limited yesterday appeared in court on allegations of defrauding another company of nearly US$20 000 in a botched customs clearance deal.

Noel Chinyuku and Tapiwa Ngondo appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court on allegations of duping Yoawel Investments (Pvt) Ltd, which is represented by Billing Moyo.

Chinyuku and Ngondo were not asked to plead to the charges when they appeared before magistrate Mrs Yeukai Dzuda charged with fraud.

They were remanded to today for their bail application.

The State led by Mr Anesu Chirenje said that last month, Yoawell Investment engaged Chinyuku, who is a clearing agent, to clear his consignment from China which was landing in Beira.

Chinyuku and Ngondo allegedly connived to defraud Yoawell Investment and called Mr Moyo using mobile number 0772 528 215 misrepresenting to him that he was a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority officer.

They told him that they wanted to confiscate the container at Beira port as the shipment had some irregularities.

Mr Moyo then called Chinyuku to ascertain what was happening with the container and was told that the consignment was about to be confiscated unless Yoawell paid US$28 160 for import duty.

Mr Moyo allegedly paid US$22 160 to Chinyuku before their consignment landed in Harare.

He later called Andrew Mazvita, another agent who was sub-contracted by Chinyuku, who suggested that another agent based in Harare could assist them faster.

The court heard that Mr Moyo was given the same mobile number of the person that he had been initially given, as that of a Zimra official.

On May 24, Mr Moyo received documents from Mutare which indicated $743 165,86 was paid as duty.

He then discovered that he had been duped of US$19 597,35.