adminThandeka Moyo Court Reporter
A BOGUS Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) official stole $11,000 from a Bulawayo company after asking to use the toilet, a court heard yesterday.Naison Kuzamba, 36, who allegedly masqueraded as a Zimra official clad in a grey formal suit and white shirt which are similar to the Zimra uniform, got away with at least $3,000 from other businesses after claiming their tax was in arrears and demanding payment.
Kuzamba, of Bellevue suburb in Bulawayo, appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Sibongile Msipa facing seven counts of fraud and was remanded in custody to September 22.
Msipa dismissed his bail application and advised him to appeal at the High Court.
Sometime last year, Kuzamba allegedly approached Agri-Auctions and told their representative that his juniors at Zimra who conducted an audit had found some discrepancies in the company’s books.
The company’s director overheard the conversation and asked Kuzamba to come into his office. Kuzamba then demanded all the Zimra documents.
He was taken to a strong room where there was $11,094 for safe keeping. While the two men were busy packing the documents, Kuzamba stole the money after asking to use the toilet.
The theft was discovered shortly after and police were called.
Caroline Matanga, prosecuting, told the court that earlier on October 22, 2012, Kuzamba approached Victor Bravo, a director at Belmont Meat Supplies pretending to be a Zimra official.
He alleged that the company owed Zimra a lot of money as a result of Value Added Tax (VAT) arrears. Kuzamba then proposed that if Bravo was to settle the payment with him, he would avoid paying all of it. Bravo told him that he only had $2,000.
Bravo discovered he had been defrauded after Kuzamba had left with the money.
Kuzamba also approached Stephen Tshuma, who runs a petrol station, during the same month. He misrepresented himself as a Zimra official from Harare assigned to audit companies as Zimra officials in Bulawayo were allegedly corrupt.
He then threatened to carry out a Zimra audit and was denied permission. Kuzamba then made phone calls to his “superiors” and told Tshuma that his superiors had ordered him to carry an audit and submit results within 18 months.
Kuzamba, it is alleged, then demanded money to stop the audit. He was given only $50. He went away saying the money was too little and never came back.
For the third and fourth count, Kuzamba defrauded Murad Ali Mukadam, whom he asked to pay $600 for under-declaring VAT.
Kuzamba allegedly used the same tactics to defraud two other companies claiming they owed Zimra.
On August 28, following his arrest, an identification parade was conducted at Bulawayo Central Police Station and Kuzamba was picked out by his alleged victims.
Online Reporter