admin
Senior Court Reporter
A 34-year-old Bulawayo businessman appeared in court yesterday for allegedly smuggling a luxury car into the country before fraudulently registering it. Masimba Dzomba who is the owner of Maston Supplies in Donnington, Bulawayo and residing at Hillside suburb pleaded not guilty to a smuggling charge when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Witness Mtetwa.
He was remanded to 7 July on $200 bail.
The prosecutor, Mr Malvern Nzombe, said on 14 September last year, Munyaradzi Mutyativukwa was arrested and taken to Bulawayo Central Police Station when he was found in possession of a Mercedes Benz C200 (registration number ABX 5369), which was suspected to have been stolen.
The car was impounded by police from the CID Vehicle Theft Squad who after contacting Interpol established that the vehicle had not been stolen.
However, on being entered into the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) vehicle registry system, it emerged that the car had allegedly been smuggled into the country Mutyativukwa revealed that he had bought the car from Dzomba.
On being questioned Dzomba failed to give a satisfactory answer leading to his arrest and the car was seized by Zimra.
The State was prejudiced of $5 590 in revenue as a result of the alleged offence, the court was told.
Online Reporter
derick.khumalo