Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
THE Ghanaian national, who appeared in court over the weekend facing fraud and possession of articles for criminal use charges, has filed a bail application.
He is accused of allegedly duping a legislator of US$100,000.
Another complainant was duped of US$40,000.
John Elvis Gwed, 42, through his lawyers, filed a bail application yesterday.
Prosecutor Lawrence Gangarahwe is set to file a response today and magistrate Ruth Moyo will make a ruling on June 1.
The State alleges that sometime in November last year, the complainant, Tanatsiwa Mukomberi, who is an MP for Masvingo South and director of an academy in the province, received a call from a foreign number.
The caller identified himself as Jonathan Gwe from Cote d’Ivoire,
Prosecutors say Gwed claimed he was working for the Swiss Reserve Bank and was interested in investing in Zimbabwe in sectors like education, mining and micro-finance.
The court heard that the accused allegedly claimed he had US$5 million for investment purposes, prompting discussions with the complainant, who intended to expand his academy into a boarding school.
It is alleged that the pair later met at a Harare hotel where Gwed allegedly produced a Swiss passport bearing his details and photograph, convincing the complainant that he was genuine.
According to the State, Gwed advised the complainant that he had brought trunks of money into Zimbabwe but claimed the cash was soiled and needed to be cleaned using a special machine from South Africa.
He said the machine cost US$100,000.
Believing the claims to be genuine, Mukomberi allegedly handed over the money to the accused.
A few days later, prosecutors say Gwed allegedly demanded more money while in South Africa, raising Mukomberi’s suspicions.
Mukomberi allegedly requested keys to the trunks so he could access the money himself.
After the accused allegedly switched off his phone, he opened the luggage and found only pillows, an electric iron and counterfeit notes.
The State says Mukomberi suffered an actual prejudice of US$100,000 and nothing was recovered.
Another complainant from Mutorashanga allegedly lost US$40,000 after the accused allegedly used a similar investment proposal involving “soiled” US dollars requiring purification chemicals and machinery.
On Saturday, detectives in Harare received information that the accused was printing fake US dollar notes at a lodge along Gunhill Avenue in Harare.
Police recovered counterfeit US$100 notes, a hard drive, bottles of baby powder, syringes, iodine finisher fluid, black trunks, a counterfeit notes fermentation machine and cut bond paper during searches at the lodge and the accused’s Kuwadzana residence.
The accused was allegedly found in possession of 5 051 counterfeit US$100 notes at the time of his arrest.
