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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
A Harare man who allegedly connived with ZBC news anchor Deliwe Mathonsi and an Angolan Embassy driver to smuggle a Nissan Sylphy vehicle appeared in court yesterday charged with fraud.

Mathonsi and the driver, Evans Chininga Chiwisa, are still at large.

Tendai Nhema (32) yesterday told the court that it was not fair for him to be denied bail on grounds that he possesses a passport.

“To deny me bail on the basis that I have a passport is lacking in sense. It is every Zimbabwe citizen’s right to have a passport,” he said.

Harare magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo granted Nhema $100 bail.

As part of his bail conditions, Nhema was ordered to surrender his passport and not to interfere with State witnesses.

Prosecutor Mrs Idah Mateke- Maromo alleged that in 2014, Mathonsi, Chiwisa and Nhema connived to smuggle a motor vehicle whose registration number is not known.

The chassis and engine numbers of the vehicle are GX1000098165 and IG6715418 respectively.

The trio allegedly acquired a fraudulent CVR registration book serial number 212514AA.

Armed with the CVR papers the trio went on to acquire licence plate number ABK2520.

They allegedly affixed the number plates and third plate to the smuggled vehicle.

It is alleged that Nhema took the vehicle to a car sale at No. 13 Faber Road, Bluffhill, Harare.

The vehicle was sold and Nhema took registration number ACB 7486 and $500 as payment for the tainted vehicle.

An agreement of sale was drafted to make the buyer believe that the vehicle had traceable records.

On October 15 this year detectives from CID Vehicle Harare Theft Squad impounded the vehicle and investigations revealed that it was tainted.

The Nissan Sylphy was forfeited to the State.