Court admits key audit report in couple’s $137 million fraud case

Yeukai Karengezeka

Court Correspondent

THE trial of Clark Clever Makoni and Beverly Aisha Ndonda Makoni, accused of defrauding Dr Gideon Gono’s company, Galwex Investments, of ZWL$137 million, took a pivotal turn on Friday after the court ruled in favour of admitting an audit report that played a crucial role in the couple’s arrest.

During Friday’s proceedings, presiding magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje determined that the audit report constituted relevant evidence in the case.

“The objection to tendering the audit report is overruled. There is nothing wrong with submitting it, as it was prepared procedurally by the company,” he said.

Mr Mambanje added that the authenticity of the document would later be subject to cross-examination.

Following the ruling, prosecutor Ms Heather Muwokoto presented the audit report as an exhibit.

The trial has been adjourned until March 28 for further proceedings.

The Makonis are alleged to have fraudulently altered the ownership of Valley Lodge, registering the property in their names and withdrawing substantial funds from the company’s bank account.

In the previous session, Ms Muwokoto called upon Galwex’s internal auditor, Ms Lindiwe Sabeka, who provided testimony regarding significant findings from an internal audit at Valley Lodge.

Ms Sabeka, a full member of the Institute of International Auditors with an Honours degree in Accountancy and a Diploma in Forensic Accounting, testified that she knew the accused as individuals contracted by Galwex to manage Valley Lodge as estate agents.

She detailed the irregularities uncovered during the audit that ultimately led to the couple’s arrest.

The defence, represented by Mr Admire Rubaya, had initially contested the report’s admissibility, arguing that it lacked proper authorship and certification by a public auditor.

But additional witnesses have corroborated the prosecution’s claims.

A ZB Bank manager, Mr Tonderai Karumbidza, testified that the couple had altered CR14 documents, falsely presenting themselves as the new owners of Valley Lodge, located in Mutare.

Furthermore, the Registrar of Companies (Department of Deeds, Companies and Intellectual Property), Mrs Lindsay Musukutwa, confirmed that the official records still listed the Omar Family as the legal directors of the company, contradicting the Makonis’ claims.

Mr Ayoob Omar, who sold the property to Dr Gono’s Galwex company in 2009, also testified, confirming that the Omars remained the registered directors of Valley Lodge and had not authorised anyone to modify the ownership documents due to unresolved matters with Galwex.