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A Harare businessman appeared in court on yesterday after being implicated in a US$1.2 million fraud case.
James Patrick Landon (47) appeared before regional magistrate Stanford Mambanje.
Landon also appeared on behalf of his company, Nyasa Air Charter Limited Malawi.
He was released on $150 000 bail and ordered to immediately surrender his Canadian passport and report once a week to the CID Commercial Crimes Unit.
The court heard that in 2019, Landon connived with one Hastings Jailosi Lumbadzi and misled Adam Lincoln Woodington that Landon was the director of Nyasa Air Charter Limited.
Landon also allegedly said he owned an aircraft, a Pilatus PC12 aircraft, and wanted a partner to enter into a joint venture to run the aircraft operations.
The aircraft actually belonged to one JA Bredenkemp.
Woodington developed interest and invested US$1 250 000 towards the repair of the aircraft and the plane was repaired and operations began in Maputo, Johannesburg and Harare between 2020 and 2022.
During the same period, Landon evaded Woodington and converted the funds to his own use before disposing of the aircraft.
He managed to pay back US$1 million and US$250 000 is still outstanding.
Godswish Dzivakwi appeared for the State.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter