Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku
A PROMINENT Bulawayo lawyer who was appointed to give corporate leadership to a local mining company was left counting his losses after five men who claimed to have been given power of attorney allegedly defrauded him of US$40 000.
Munyaradzi Charakupa, Tawanda Mangi, Victor Jaja, Percy Pemba and Paul Chakaingesu appeared before Bulawayo Provincial magistrate Shepherd Mnjanja each facing a charge of extortion.
They were not asked to plead. They were remanded out of custody until 3 March after they each paid US$100 for bail.
The Court heard that on 28 April last year, Charakupa and Pemba visited Dumisani Dube at his offices in the city centre and allegedly claimed that they got power of attorney empowering them to become directors of Fools Investments Limited.
It is reported that in a bid to induce fear, Jaja allegedly told Dube that in the previous years, he killed four people so he must bow to their demands.
Following that it is alleged Charakupa called a person named Sekuru Mambo who he claimed works for the Government and Mambo reportedly told Dube to comply and give them the money they were demanding.
After that, they phoned another person called Sekuru Paul who “confirmed” that the quartet was sent by a senior government official to collect USU$40000. Following that, Dube gave them US$40000 and they left.
He later reported the incident to the police leading to their arrest.
