Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo
Court Correspondent
A Harare woman accused of posing as an authorised vehicle import agent for BeForward and defrauding several clients of more than US$15 000 has appeared in court facing five counts of fraud.
Regina Mandiya (28), who allegedly operated under the name Ginnah Motors, appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Ruth Moyo on Monday and was remanded in custody pending a determination of her bail application.
The State alleges that Mandiya operated from offices at Francis House along Jason Moyo Avenue in Harare’s central business district, where she falsely presented herself as an agent capable of importing vehicles from Japan through BeForward.
According to court papers, one of the complainants, Mr Roy Makokoro, approached Mandiya in January this year seeking to import a Mazda Familia AD Van.
The court heard that Mandiya allegedly misrepresented that she had the capacity to source and import the vehicle through Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Acting on that misrepresentation, Mr Makokoro paid US$2 748 for the vehicle and related importation costs.
However, when he later followed up on the transaction, Mandiya allegedly informed him that the vehicle had been sold to another buyer and that no replacement vehicle was available.
Mr Makokoro reportedly made several attempts to recover his money, but Mandiya allegedly failed to provide satisfactory responses before eventually becoming unreachable. When he visited the company’s offices, he found them closed.
The matter was reported to the police, leading to Mandiya’s arrest. The State alleges that of the US$2 748, nothing has been recovered.
In a separate count, the court heard that on July 28 last year, Mr Maclloyd Tapera approached Ginnah Motors with the intention to buy a Toyota Passo, after Mandiya allegedly presented herself as a BeForward agent.
Mr Tapera allegedly paid US$5 124, covering the vehicle purchase price, clearing charges and transportation costs from Dar es Salaam to Zimbabwe.
After waiting several months without receiving the vehicle, Mr Tapera visited the company’s offices only to find them locked and unattended.
Although Mandiya allegedly continued assuring him that the vehicle would be delivered, no vehicle was ever supplied.
The court heard that she later referred Mr Tapera to another agent in Zambia, who allegedly advised him that the vehicle could no longer be imported into Zimbabwe because the permissible importation period had expired.
After making several unsuccessful attempts to recover his money, Mr Tapera reported the matter to the police. The State alleges that nothing of the US$5 124 has been recovered.
Three other complainants — Mr John Makese, Ms Luluwa Annah Dhiki and Mr Wilfred Mashaya — were allegedly defrauded in a similar manner after paying money for vehicles that were never delivered.
Investigations are continuing.
