Bogus agent up for fraud

A HARARE man who masqueraded as an officer from the President’s Office attached to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) has appeared in court on allegations of defrauding a local company of mining equipment worth $40 000 using fake documents.

Joe Kudzayi Rugwete (40) appeared before Harare Provincial magistrate Mrs Vongai Muchuchuti Guwuriro last week on fraud charges.

He was granted $500 bail and ordered to continue residing at his given address.

It is alleged that sometime in 2013, a Chinese national identified as Liu imported mining equipment from China which was shipped in a container number UACU4934878.

The equipment was allegedly taken to Yipsong Plant and Equipment (Pvt) Limited located at CMED complex along Coventry Road in Workington Harare pending customs clearance.

It is alleged that the importer did not turn up to clear the consignment, prompting Yipsong Plant and Equipment (Pvt) Limited to seal the consignment and issue a notice of embargo in October last year.

Prosecutor Shepherd Makonde said sometime in November 2018, Rugwete approached Danny Zhong who is the Director of Yipsong Plant and Equipment Pvt (Ltd) and showed him a fake identification card and lied that he was an official from the President’s Office attached to ZIMRA.

The court heard that Rugwete produced a copy of the embargo document issued by ZIMRA and asked why the container was still at Yipsong Plant and Equipment (Pvt) Limited premises.

Rugwete allegedly instructed Zhong to write a letter to ZIMRA requesting them to remove the consignment from his premises.

He later informed Zhong that he was going to write the letter on his behalf and was going to bring it for him to sign.

On January 9, Rugwete returned with the letter and instructed Zhong to sign it.

Rugwete allegedly told Zhong that he was taking the letter to his bosses for approval and on January 10 he brought a letter he claimed was from ZIMRA instructing Zhong to release the container to him because the goods had been forfeited to the State.

The offence came to light when ZIMRA approached Zhong the following day intending to collect the container, leading to Rugwete’s arrest.