dyton mupawaenda
Yeukai Karengezeka-Court Correspondent
FIVE men who allegedly smuggled top-of-the-range motor vehicles into Zimbabwe from South Africa by fraudulently fitting registration plates from the President’s Office to evade taxes and toll fees appeared in court yesterday.
They were all remanded in custody pending a decision on their bail application.
Aleck Dzepatsva (42) appeared separately before Harare regional magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei charged with four counts of fraud and illegal importation of goods.
Prosecuting, Mr Pardon Dziva alleged that sometime this year, Dzepatsva, in connivance with Edmore Manyonda who is already on remand, smuggled vehicles into the country.
On first count, the two allegedly smuggled a KIA truck with an obliterated chassis number into Zimbabwe. They fitted registration number plates AFB 5566, which belongs to a vehicle of the counter intelligence unit in the Office of the President and Cabinet to avoid customs duty and prevent the vehicle being properly registered. The truck was recovered from Manyonda.
On the second count, Mr Dziva alleged that in May, Manyonda and Dzepatsva made a deal with Enos Takundwa, who is also already on remand, to swap their Toyota Hilux GD6 for a Toyota Aqua and US$7 000. But this Hilux with chassis number AHTKB8CD602971088 had been smuggled from South Africa. The motor vehicle was recovered from Fungai Chimwamurombe who bought the motor vehicle from Enos Takundwa.
In a separate prosecution, Brian Matongo (41), Tinashe Kanda (41) and Elvis Jieman (38) appeared before the same magistrate facing fraud charges.
The State alleged that from 2018 the three connived with officers from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA), Central Vehicle Registration (CVR) and the Central Intelligence Organisation and fraudulently registered smuggled vehicles.
On December 12, 2018, Matongo, acting in connivance with Wisdom Ndebele who is still at large, smuggled a Toyota Fotuner with Chassis number AHTJA3GSX00232098 from South Africa into Zimbabwe. To avoid paying Zimra, Zinara and CVR tax, licence and toll fees, the two connived with Kanda who then supplied a vehicle registration book and number plate AFC 0405 which belongs to a vehicle used by the Office of the President and Cabinet.
Jieman evaded payment of tax, vehicle licence fees as well as toll fees nationwide from December 2018 to August 2023. The offence came to light when the Office of the President and Cabinet witnessed their exempted registration plates circulating on the market.
As a result they reported the matter to the police for further investigations which led to the recovery of the vehicle and the registration plates which are currently held in police custody as exhibit.
Online Reporter