Couple up for fraud

A Harare businessman who allegedly teamed up with his girlfriend and swindled a company that deals in generators of more than US$200 000 has appeared in court charged with fraud.
Kennedy Mukubvu (38), the director of Kawista Investments — a car rental firm — was not formally charged when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Don Ndirowei on Thursday.
He was remanded out of custody to February 21 this year on US$100 bail.
Mukubvu was represented by Mr Pisirayi Kwenda of Kwenda and Associates. Mr Kwenda submitted that allegations against his client were weak as the State had failed to show the nexus between him and the offence. He said his client was brought to court simply because his alleged girlfriend had implicated him.
Prosecutor Ms Svodai Kadivirire alleges that during the period extending from August last year to January this year Mukubvu acting in connivance with his girlfriend Anna Mudyiwa, who was working for Heinz Taube Electronics as a saleslady, hatched a plan to defraud the company.
In pursuit of their plan, it is alleged, Mukubvu who is already on remand gave Mudyiwa fictitious receipt books, which were used at Heinz as daily payment receipts to customers who paid for generators. Mudyiwa would allegedly share the profits with his boyfriend. 
At certain instances, the court heard, Mukubvu fraudulently took generators from Heinz which were sold under his company Kawista Investments trading as Generators R US on his receipts to the prejudice of Heinz.
As a result of Mukubvu’s actions, the State says Heinz suffered a total prejudice of US$213 685 and property worth US$7 500 was recovered. — CR.