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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO businessman defrauded a commercial farmer of about $168 000 after allegedly forging a R285 792 telegraphic transfer of funds purportedly as payment to a Zambian company for a consignment of Cobb chicken hatching eggs.
Bekithemba Ncube (47) of Hillside suburb, through his company White Dove Marketing, offered to assist Mr Dean Anthony Lezar, a Matobo commercial farmer, to source foreign currency to pay his Zambian supplier US$47 174 for 468 boxes of Cobb hatching eggs.
Ncube appeared before Bulawayo magistrate, Mrs Ulukile Mlea-Ndlovu, facing charges of fraud or alternatively theft of trust property.
He was remanded out of custody to September 26 on $300 bail.
Prosecuting, Mr Nkathazo Dlodlo said sometime in June this year, Mr Lezar met the accused person at a business interaction during which Ncube introduced himself as the director of White Dove Marketing.
He said Ncube offered to assist the complainant in sourcing foreign currency using an inter-bank market platform in Bulawayo to enable him to pay his Zambian supplier for Cobb hatching eggs.
“The complainant agreed to engage the services of the accused person who instructed him to transfer the money into his company account on the understanding that he would source foreign currency and pay the money directly to the Zambian company on behalf of the complainant,” said Mr Dlodlo.
He said on June 20, the complainant transferred $310 000 in local currency into White Dove Marketing’s bank account. Mr Lezar gave Ncube an invoice of US$47 174 from Hybrid Farm, the Zambian supplier.
Mr Dlodlo said Ncube sourced the foreign currency and processed a telegraphic transfer of US$20 000 to Hybrid Farm and the recipient confirmed the payment.
He said Ncube pocketed the balance of $168 748, which was meant to source the outstanding balance of US$27 174 on the invoice.
“The accused person went on to transfer the money into his personal account and converted it to his own use,” said the prosecutor.
As a way of trying to cover up for the alleged offence, the accused person lied to the complainant that the bank availed the foreign currency in South African rand and purported to have transferred the money to the Zambian company to offset the outstanding US$27 174.
Ncube went on to forge a telegraphic transfer and gave it the complainant as proof of the alleged transaction.
The complainant made a follow up with the suppliers and they denied receiving the money.
Mr Lezar made another follow up with the accused person’s bank and the institution disowned a copy of the purported telegraphic transfer.
When the complainant tried to engage Ncube, he became evasive prompting him to report the matter to the police leading to the accused person’s arrest.
The complainant was prejudiced of $168 748 and nothing was recovered. — @mashnets
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