Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
SCULPTOR and musician, Bryn Taurai Mteki and his company Bryn Brands (Private) Limited have appeared in court on allegations of stealing US$20 000 from his former business partner following a failed chrome concentrate procurement deal.
Mteki, who is the director of Bryn Brands (Private) Limited, was facing theft of trust property when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Tapiwa Kuhudzai.
He was remanded out of custody to November 10 for trial commencement. The complainant in this case is Thomas William Craven.
The court heard that on August 8, 2025, Mteki received cash which was to be used as a security deposit in a chrome concentrate procurement transaction.
The money was supposed to be returned to Craven after the transaction. It is alleged that Mteki was then issued with a Petty Cash Voucher, which he then signed as proof of receipt.
The chrome concentrate procurement deal failed, and Craven was supposed to receive back his money from Mteki.
The court heard that on December 20 2025, Mteki originated a false message to Tonderai Machaka of Pneumogro (Private) Limited alleging that Craven had voluntarily exited from the chrome procurement transaction.
Pheumogro (Private) Limited was the one holding the US$ 20 000 received from Mteki as a security deposit.
The acknowledgement of receipt between Tonderai Machaka and Bryn Brands (Private) Limited dated August 13, 2025 can be produced in Evidence.
It is the State’s case that sometime in 2026, Mteki took the security deposit from Pneumogro (Private) Limited where it was held and instead of handing it back to Craven as per agreement, he converted it to his own use.
Craven later made a report to the police after realising that his money had been stolen. Total value stolen is US$ 20 000 and nothing was recovered.
