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Nyore Madzianike Senior Court Reporter

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra)’s 2019 operation to identify cars that were smuggled into the country has exposed a car dealer who allegedly duped two of his clients of US$20 000 after fraudulently clearing their imported vehicles.

Timothy Muyambo (50) appeared at the Harare magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko last week charged with fraud and was not asked to plead to the charges.

Muyambo was released on free bail.

He stands accused of defrauding Mr Afareck Matongo, who owns Buycar (Pvt) Limited, and Mr Chapman Paso, who is also into car dealing.

Circumstances leading to Muyambo’s arrest are that sometime in 2018, Mr Matongo imported two Toyota Hilux twin-cabs, a single cab and a Fortuner, using various clearing agents.

In November last year, Zimra placed an advert in the press listing a number of vehicles that were said to have been smuggled into the country, adding that those in possession of them should approach the authority for verification.

It was then that Mr Matongo approached his friend, Mr Simbai Murambiwa, to enquire how he could regularise his car’s papers and was introduced to Muyambo.

Muyambo claimed to have capacity to quicken the process of duty and penalty payments.

On November 21 last year, Mr Matongo met Muyambo in Harare and pledged to assist in the event that he pays US$10 000 for his services, including customs duty and penalties.

Mr Matongo then paid the money and handed him some vehicle documents. The court heard that Muyambo called Mr Matongo telling him that there was a shortfall of US$4 500 plus US$5 000 for his commission.

Mr Matongo is said to have paid all the money to Muyambo who then vanished without clearing the cars. He lost US$15 000 in the process.

Mr Paso also had his Toyota Fortuner, which he wanted regularised with Zimra after it was blacklisted. He approached Muyambo who indicated he could do the job if he was paid US$5 000.

The court heard that Mr Paso paid Muyambo the US$5 000, but he vanished without paying the duty to Zimra as promised.