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Energy Mutodi

Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
Businessman and musician Energy Mutodi, who is facing charges of duping his clients of US$588 000 in a botched housing scheme, yesterday told the court that his National Housing Delivery Trust was affected by the demise of the Zim- dollar.
National Housing Delivery Trust is represented by Mutodi in the matter, who is also charged in his personal capacity and jointly charged with Boniface Chikono.

Mutodi and Chikono pleaded not guilty to fraud charges.

While cross-examining a State witness, Irene Asani, Mutodi’s lawyer, Mr Charles Chinyama, asked her if it was true that the demise of the Zimdollar stopped her from getting her house from NHDT.

Asani agreed that the dollarisation process disturbed a lot of things, including NHDT’s housing projects.

She told the court that 35 people benefited from NHDT’s housing project, but she did not because she made staggered instalments.

Mr Chinyama thanked Asani for mentioning that some members benefited from Mutodi’s housing schemes, contradicting a previous witness who said no one benefited except members in Bulawayo.

Asani confirmed that she was occupying stand number 164 in Marimba which she obtained from another co-operative on land belonging to Mutodi’s scheme.

Meanwhile, Mutare magistrate Ms Enia Ndiraya recently refused further remand for Mutodi in a case in which he was accused of swindling home seekers in the city of US$1,7 million.

This was after Mutodi filed an application for refusal of further remand, arguing that the State had failed to provide him with a trial date.

Ms Ndiraya granted Mutodi’s application after he argued that his continued remand was burdening his organisation and family.