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Yeukai Karengezeka Court Correspondent
A man who is employed by a Chinese firm as an interpreter yesterday appeared in court for allegedly stealing a company vehicle worth US$24 000 and using it to transport minerals without their approval.
Kudakwashe Zimonte appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Munashe Chibanda charged with theft of trust property.
He was granted $100 000 bail and will be back in court on August 31.
The complainant is China-Zim International Smelting Company being represented by its director Lin Ou.
The State told the court that Zimonte’s duties involved linking customers to the company through interpreting, driving the directors around the country and also buying raw materials in the form of chrome, silica, coke, river and pit-sand.
Zimonte took advantage of the trust bestowed on him by the complainant and on May 23, at around 8pm whilst everyone had knocked off, he booked out the company’s pool vehicle.
He purported to be conducting his duties and went on to load 15 tonnes of ferro-chrome from the company and went on to dispose it to an unknown destination.
Zimonte was spotted by his former workmates Forget and Brighton Muguza loading the chrome. When he was confronted by the two, he stated that it was an instruction from the complainant.
The total value stolen is US$24 857 and nothing was recovered.
Online Reporter