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Prosper Dembedza Herald Correspondent

A State witness in the matter of businessman Ronald Nyandoro who is facing allegations of stealing a motor vehicle has told the court that he believes the complainant was attacking him for telling the truth of what transpired in the deal.

Mr Kirk West told the court that he believes Mr James Landon who is the complainant was punishing him for revealing what transpired during the vehicle deal.

He said to date he has lost two cars to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), who claimed that their papers were not in order.

He added that Landon was abusing the criminal justice system wily nilly.

Mr West said he once spoke to Nyandoro and Landon and they both agreed that the vehicle was for sale.

“Nyandoro has been honest with me throughout negotiations before and after the vehicle deal went through,”he said.He said when he bought the car from Nyandoro they had a meeting with Landon who was claiming ownership and in that meeting he promised to give him back his money or allow him to keep the car.
“I was surprised when he came with the police to arrest me for stealing the car,”he said.

He said the officers took the car without a notice of seizure.

Mr West told the court that when he had two meetings with Mr Landon and Nyandoro after purchasing the vehicle no report of theft was made.

During the previous sitting Nyandoro’s lawyer Mr Admire Rubaya told the court that the complainant, James Landon, tried to engage his client to negotiate for an out-of-court settlement.

While cross-examining Landon, Nyandoro’s lawyer Mr Admire Rubaya questioned the complainant why he attempted to have an out-of-court settlement five minutes before trial commencement.

During cross-examination, Rubaya put it to Landon that he handed over the vehicle to Nyandoro at Mr Logan’s house but he denied saying he handed it to him at his house in Borrowdale Brooke.

Mr Rubaya accused Landon of abusing the criminal justice system by filing a theft of trust property report against Nyandoro whom he gave a motor vehicle for services rendered after failing to pay his consultation fees.

Landon alleges the vehicle, a Toyota Landcruiser AET 3438, was supposed to be returned to him after some time.

But Nyandoro through Rubaya denied the allegations that he was entrusted with the alleged motor vehicle for temporary use.

Instead, Nyandoro told the court that there was no trust agreement as alleged by Landon.

He added that he got the car as payment for services rendered at a time when Landon was locked in a dispute with another businessman Adam Woodington which resulted in the complainant being arrested.