Court grants fraud suspect US$100 bail

converting the proceeds to her own use, has appeared in court.
Josephine Chanda, who was a sales representative with Rismo Investments when she allegedly committed the offence, was not asked to plead to fraud charges when she appeared before Mr Shane Kubonera.
Chanda, who is being represented by Mr Tapson Dzvetero of Antonio and Associates, was granted US$100 bail and will be back in court on June 1 for routine remand.
The State led by Ms Vernancia Mtake alleged that in February 2003 Rismo Investiments bought 15 residential stands from Zimbabwe Building Society.
The company intended to register its stands with Harare council but the move was turned down. Council argued that it was impossible for the company to register all the stands in one name at the same time.
It is the State’s case that Rismo Investiments decided to register the stands using the names of its workers and Chanda’s name was used to register stand Number 1122 in Crowborough.
The company went on to build a structure on that stand and Chanda knowing the stand belonged to her employer, went on to advertise it through an estate agent.
The State says she was selling the stand for US$13 000.
In January 2004, Paul Munyati responded to the advert and Chanda misrepresented to him that she was the rightful owner of the stand and confirmed it was indeed for sale.
Munyati paid the whole amount to Chanda who then resigned from work.
The matter came to light when Munyati sought transfer of the title deeds and Chanda became evasive.
A police report was made leading to her arrest.