Man loses US$26 500

A Harare businesswoman has been arrested for allegedly swindling a client of US$26 500 in a car deal.
Joyce Mukazhi, the director of Tromage Enterprises, which sells imported vehicles, has since appeared in court charged with theft of trust property.
Mukazhi (33) was not asked to plead when she appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Archie Wochiunga who remanded her in custody to today for bail ruling.
Mukazhi allegedly placed an advert in the local newspapers saying she sold imported cars from Japan. She would make the interested buyers pay for vehicles in full promising to deliver at an agreed date, it is alleged.
Appearing for the State, Ms Svodai Kadivirire says sometime in October last year, Mukazhi’s company placed an advert in the local newspapers urging members of the public to purchase cars from Japan through her company.
On November 3, the State says, Cashington Mavhunduke responded to the advert and proceeded to Mukazhi’s work place where he met her. She allegedly informed him that she was about to leave the country for Japan to buy vehicles for other customers. It is the State’s case that Mukazhi told Mavhunduke she had a licence, which allowed her to buy vehicles at auctions in Japan at lower prices.
Mavhunduke, however, told Mukazhi that he wanted her to bring him a Toyota Prado. He was allegedly advised that such vehicles would cost US$26 500 inclusive of freight charges to Harare.
The two then allegedly agreed on the purchase price and Mavhunduke was ordered to deposit the money into Mukazhi’s Standard Bank account and he complied. Mavhunduke, the State says, was told that his car would be delivered to him before December 20 last year.
The court heard that after the agreement had lapsed, Mavhunduke on several occasions confronted Mukazhi demanding his car but she became evasive. This prompted Mavhunduke to make a police report that led to her arrest.