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Court Reporter
Energy Mutodi, who is facing charges of duping his clients of a combined US$588 000 in a botched housing scheme, allegedly took US$10 000 from his National Housing Delivery Trust to cover up an accident which killed four members of the same family. This was revealed by Mutodi’s former projects manager Chandafira Pasipamire while testifying during cross-examination by defence lawyer Mr Charles Chinyama.
Pasipamire told the court that he remembered one day in 2011 when Mutodi came to company offices after he was involved in an accident.
“He came to the office in the company of police officers and said he was involved in an accident in Gutu and four members of the same family had died,” he said.
“He was shaking and asked the cashier if he had money in the cash box. The cashier said he had received US$12 000. Mutodi then asked for US$10 000.”
Pasipamire said he then asked Mutodi what he wanted to do with the money.
“He only said he wanted to do ‘something’ and nothing was ever heard of about the accident.”
Harare magistrate Mr Hoseah Mujaya postponed the matter to June 27.
Mutodi is jointly charged with company trustee Boniface Chikono and they are accused of forming a Trust to fleece US$588 000 from desperate home seekers.
In their defence, Mutodi and Chikono denied misrepresenting to home seekers, maintaining that the land for allocation for residential stands was available with some members having benefited.
Online Reporter