adminMathew Masinge
MA Auto Spare director, Michael Smith, is facing 10 additional counts of fraud and theft of trust property.
That is on top of the six counts he was already facing in court.
The complainant is Michael Asher, a shareholder and co-director at MA Auto Spares based in Australia.
Smith allegedly failed to disclose to Asher that the company was paying its South African suppliers through a third party, Mant Procurement [Pvt) Ltd.
He also allegedly imported two tents, a Station Wagon Rear Bumper and RHS Carrier under the impression that they belonged to the company and sold them for personal gain.
Additionally, Smith allegedly failed to account for service charges received from relatives and friends and failed to account for a loan advanced to the company.
Smith, who is already out on $100 000 bail, voluntarily appeared before Harare magistrate Denis Mangosi, in the company of his lawyer.
It is the State’s case that sometime in October 2019, Asher left for Australia and could not return due to Covid 19 restrictions until September 2022.
Upon his return, he discovered that the company was paying South African suppliers through a third party, Mant Procurement [Pvt) Ltd, a South Africa-registered company co-owned by Smith and his South Africa-based friend, Tony Oatley.
Smith had not disclosed this arrangement to his principal.
MA Auto Supplies later unearthed that Mant Procurement was overcharging the company and suffered prejudice in excess of R100 000.
In February, Smith allegedly imported two tents using MA Auto Suppliers (Pvt) Ltd’s resources and sold them to Ms Horsley for US$1 800.
Smith allegedly used the same modus operandi to import a Station Wagon Rear Bumper and RHS Carrier and the customer paid R24 259.83 directly into Mant Procurement (Pvt) Ltd’s FNB account.
On another occasion, Smith was authorised by the complainant to sell their Toyota Land Cruiser for US$7 500 and he converted the amount to his own use.
It is also alleged that Smith failed to account for US$28 985.72 for service charges he received from 25 of his different relatives and friends after using company resources between October 2019 and September 2022.
In November 2020, Smith also failed to account for a US$10 000 loan advanced to the company.
Online Reporter