Criminal case against managers collapses

Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
Three senior managers of Waverley Plastics accused of forging documents to elbow out other company directors have been released from remand after a magistrate ruled that there was no criminal offence disclosed in the details of the charges.

So Waverley managing director Mr Aron Vico, company secretary Mr Lakshmikanth Boddapati and company consultant Mr Maxwell Maheya were wrongly arrested in March and were released from remand last week.

Ms Amanda Berkowits had filed the criminal report against the three but Magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje ruled that the allegations levelled against them did not disclose any criminal offence, before quashing the charges.

Berkowits who is a daughter to the late founder of Waverley Plastics, Mr Victor Cohen, and accused Mr Vico of forging a standard company documents listing directors in collusion with Mr Boddapati and Mr Maheya

Waverley has seen an inheritance dispute since the death of Mr Cohen, pitting two of his daughters against his grandson, Mr Vico. So far in all the criminal and civil actions the courts have found that Mr Vico has acted correctly.

In another case where Ms Berkowits and Ms Belynda Halfon had reported Mr Vico and Mr Boddapati to the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission (ZACC), prosecution was declined after investigations revealed that there was no evidence of any criminal conduct committed by the two.

In this case, Ms Berkowits confirmed that she did not sign the memorandum and articles of association for Waverley Plastics (Pvt) Ltd although she had in a sworn affidavit deposed during the course of High Court civil proceedings said that she had. Ms Berkowits was subsequently charged with perjury and is currently out on bail.

Mr Vico is on record saying that apart from the two not having subscribed for shares in Waverley Plastics (Pvt) Ltd as required by the law, the two women contributed nothing towards the financing of the business, nor did they make any contribution in the running of the business.

There was no board resolution appointing either to a directorship of the company, he said.

“I don’t believe Berkowits had ever visited Waverley Plastics until sometime in 2021, which is the same day that she criminally insulted and harassed me she was subsequently charged and convicted for this crime and was sentenced to do community service,” said Vico.

“The discredited media reports had misleadingly published that she was acquitted. I also mention that I had to be granted a peace order against Berkowits to stop her from disturbing my peace following her sustained violent conduct against me,” said Mr Vico, and that was granted.

In Waverley Plastics, Mr Vico said he had always been the sole signatory to the bank account and only one to sign the financial documents such as annual returns, which he did as the managing director and this was all done under the instructions and wishes of his late grandfather.

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