adminThandeka Moyo Court Reporter
AN Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) in Zimbabwe church elder has been acquitted of allegedly defrauding a business partner of $13,000 in a botched deal.
Virimai Chiminyu, 39, of Entumbane suburb, who is a retired Criminal Investigations Department (CID) detective and a director at a Bulawayo company, Limitless (Pvt) Ltd, was arraigned before the courts last year facing one count of fraud.
Bulawayo magistrate Batanai Tuwe on Friday acquitted Chiminyu after the state had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he defrauded his churchmate, Regis Mupakaviri, of $13,819.
Prosecuting, Munyonga Kuvarega alleged that Chiminyu tricked Mupakaviri into injecting money into a business venture claiming he had won a tender to do jobs in Bulawayo and Plumtree.
Kuvarega said Chiminyu allegedly told Mupakaviri that the investment would make him an equal partner that would entitle him to a 50 percent share of the profits.
Chiminyu allegedly converted all the profits to his own use.
“In September 2011, Chiminyu approached Mupakaviri and invited him to be a partner in his company. Chiminyu reportedly managed to complete 24 jobs of varying sizes in Bulawayo, Plumtree and Gwanda raking a total of $139,716,” the court heard.
Chiminyu allegedly failed to share the profits as agreed, but it was found by the court that he did not have a case to answer.
He told The Chronicle of his relief after his acquittal. “I’m glad this is over as this case had affected my image as a Christian. I was never in a partnership with Mupakaviri and it’s a relief as the courts have proved that I didn’t defraud him at any given time,” said Chiminyu.
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