adminLeonard Ncube Court Reporter
A 51-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo woman and her two sons heaved a sigh of relief on Friday when a court cleared them of defrauding nine people of more than $5,000 on separate incidents.
Magistrate Gladmore Mushove was told that Erica Siziwe Munakopa, her sons Paul and Tafadzwa had been contracted by Endrue Global Logistics to ferry stockfeed from Bulawayo to different parts of the country.
Erica, who used to run a now defunct transport company and her sons, reside in Matsheumhlope suburb. It was alleged that her two sons used the non-existent company to get the tender and went on to sub-contract third parties who they later failed to pay for their services.
For the State, Tarisai Mutarisi submitted to the court that she was withdrawing charges before plea because there was no evidence of intentional fraud and the court accepted.
Paul had told the court that he was the one who was contracted by Endrue Global Logistics and was yet to pay the complainants due to some problems which were being worked on.
His mother was arrested by virtue of being the owner of the now defunct company and that Endrue Global Logistics deposited payment to ferry the stock feed into her bank account.
Mutarisi said between December 3, and December 7 last year, the Munakopas hired different transport companies to deliver stock feed to Beitbridge, Chiredzi, Chivi, Mberengwa and Mwenezi. The companies charged different amounts on each trip and they promised to pay them within a week. However, they failed to pay them after getting the money from Endrue Global Logistics.
A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of the Munakopas.
Online Reporter