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Yeukai Karengezeka 

Court Correspondent 

FORMER National Social Security Authority (NSSA) Investment director Brian Murewa, who allegedly defrauded his employer of US$29 000 after being tasked to buy a guest house in Kariba in 2022, has been granted US$500 bail.

Murewa (44) appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei charged with fraud.

He was ordered to surrender his passport and to return to court on May 14 for a possible trial date.

Murewa allegedly misrepresented that the guest house purchased by NSSA in Kariba cost US$240 000 when, in fact, the purchase price was US$215 000.

 Opposing bail, ZACC Investigating officer Ms Brenda Mhuriro submitted that Murewa can abscond court since he has been on the run for the past 14 months.

She also said that they reached out to Interpol to assist but still it was to no avail. They were only able to arrest him recently at his house in Borrowdale, Harare.

However, during cross-examination, his lawyer Mr Tafadzwa Hungwe produced documentary evidence in the form of a passport that proved that Murewa frequently travelled out of the country since last year for medical check-ups.

When asked whether ZACC had an arrest warrant when they visited Murewa’s house, Ms Mhuriro said they did not have one.

Mr Hungwe also submitted that the seller did not make any complaint to ZACC hence the third party company engaged by the complainant should account for the money, not Murewa. 

The complainant is NSSA, represented by Mr Timothy Nherudzo, a Board member and Investments Committee member.

Prosecutor Mr Anesu Chirenje alleged that sometime in January 2021, NSSA resolved to purchase a Guest House in Kariba for use by its members and staff.

NSSA mandated Murewa to seek a suitable property and he approached Palm Golding, a real estate company which had been given a mandate to sell stand number 989 Kariba Township on behalf of Thokozani Family Trust.

Murewa offered to purchase the property which was being sold for US$220 000.

Palm Golding arranged to meet Thokozani Family Trust’s representative Mr Tendai Muzorewa. Murewa then negotiated for a reduction of the purchase price to US$215 000 and induced Mr Muzorewa to agree to sign an agreement of sale reflecting the purchase price as US$240 000 by promising in return to make a cash payment of US$215 000.

The court heard that on January 12, NSSA, acting on the instructions of Murewa, transferred a total US$300 000 to Platinum Investments Managers (Pvt) Ltd, NSSA’s investment manager, with US$252 631.59 meant for the purchase of the property.

On 14 March 2022, Platinum Investment Managers handed US$153 000 cash to Murewa as payment for the property but he only paid US$124 000 and remained with US$29 000.

On January 31, 2022, the balance of US$91 000 was paid directly to the sellers in cash by PIM to make a total of US$215 000.