Online Reporter
Peter Matika, [email protected]
A BULAWAYO miner appeared in a Harare court on Tuesday facing fraud charges linked to mining assets worth about US$30 million.
John Farley Pietersen (66), a self-employed miner, appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Jesse Kufa alongside fellow miner Peter Mark Johnstone (58). The pair were granted US$500 bail each and remanded to July 24.
The State alleges that the two men used false representations to gain control of All Aflame Marketing (Private) Limited, a company that owns the Royal Family mining claims in Filabusi.
According to prosecutors, the complainant is DGL Finance Limited, a Mauritius-based company that is the sole lawful shareholder of All Aflame Marketing through its ownership of 170 ordinary shares.
The company is represented by executive director Mr David Peter Easterbrook, who is a complainant together with Mr Allan Brent Dolan.
Prosecutor Mr Lawrence Gangarahwe alleged that the accused deliberately served court papers at an incorrect Bulawayo address despite knowing the company had relocated, resulting in a matter being treated as unopposed and a default judgment being granted in their favour.
The State further alleges that the judgment enabled Pietersen and Johnstone to acquire a 57,45 percent shareholding in the company before they later misrepresented to the Registrar of Companies that Mr Easterbrook and Mr Dolan had resigned as directors, leading to company records being amended in their favour.
Prosecutors allege that the complainants suffered prejudice amounting to approximately US$30 million as a result of the alleged misrepresentations.
The latest court appearance comes just a day Pietersen and his son, Liam Farley Pietersen (28), return to the Bulawayo Magistrates Court for the expected conclusion of an assault case stemming from an incident involving Mr Moyo at Pottery Industries in Belmont in July last year.
The accused deny both the assault allegations and the fraud charges.
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