adminthem on Tuesday appeared before a Harare Magistrate facing extortion charges.
Henry Okeke (61) of Belvedere was not formally charged when he appeared before Harare magistrate who remanded him out of custody on US$100 bail.
However, he will remain in custody after the immigration department issued a warrant of further detention.
His lawyers Mr Charles Chinyama of Chinyama and Partners and Mr Donald Sibanda of Hangazha and Charamba, on Tuesday were battling to secure his release.
It is the court’s case that in May 2010 Okeke bought a property worth US$60 000 from Kennan Properties and on July 15 last year, he had deposited US$54 000 into their Trust Bank account.
On July 22 Kennan Properties received an offer for the same property for US$72 000 and they informed Okeke they were dropping his offer.
It is further alleged that the firm indicated that if Okeke managed to pay the US$6000 balance, it might reconsider his offer and failure to do so it was likely that the firm would take up the other offer.
It is alleged that Okeke said he would cause the company “a lot of trouble” because they had refused to sell him the property.
On May 4, 2011 Lavina Eggersglusz the property negotiator at Kennan Properties was showing another customer a house in Borrowdale Brooke when Okeke showed up and demanded to know who was buying the house.
Okeke is alleged to have made an offer of US$250 000 when the first buyer had said he would buy the house at US$350 000.
When his offer was turned down, Okeke went to report a case of fraud against them.
The property negotiator received summons to appear at a pre-trial conference at Harare magistrates’ court on June 17, 2011.
The negotiator was arrested and Okeke allegedly asked Kennan Properties to give him US$20 000 if they wanted her to stay out of prison.
The matter was reported to the police and a trap was set up where Okeke was given the US$20 000 he had requested.
While he was still counting the money, police caught up with him and arrested him.
Online Reporter