admin
Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
The three Navistar Insurance Brokers Limited directors who were implicated in the Air Zimbabwe (Private) Limited scandal for allegedly defrauding the national airline of more than five million euro and US$2 million, have been remanded in custody to today for bail application.
Managing directors Givemore Nderere (45) and Vukile Hlupo (45) and finance director Orten Mawire (60) yesterday appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Douglas Chikwekwe charged with four counts of fraud and one of theft.
The trio is being represented by Mr George Mhlanga, Mr Tafadzwa Mapuranga and Mr James Mutizwa while Mr Michael Reza is appearing for the State.
It is the State’s case that on March 20 2009, Nderere, Hlupo and Mawire connived with Peter Chikumba and Grace Pfumbidzayi, who are already on remand, to defraud the airline by inflating aviation insurance premiums.
Pursuant to their plan, it is alleged that the trio and their accomplices presented several inflated debit notes to the airline which were authorised for payment in respect of aviation insurance premiums to Colemont Reinsurance Brokers (Pvt) Ltd and Marsh Reinsurance Brokers (Pvt) Ltd, both United Kingdom-based companies.
As a result, the airline’s finance department acted upon the misrepresentation and released a total of €15 783 452,93 to Navistar Insurance Brokers (Pvt) Ltd who only remitted a total of EUR10 607 859,22 to the two international brokers and converted the balance to their personal use.
On the second count, it is alleged that the trio, on May 8 2009, acting in connivance with Pfumbidzayi and Chikumba misrepresented to Air Zimbabwe that there was an urgent need to pay US$142 300 to the European Commission to avoid the placement of the airline on sanctions.
They indicated that the payment was a requirement in terms of the commission’s regulations and the money was paid to Navistar purportedly for onward transmission to the commission but instead they converted the money to their own use.
It is further alleged that sometime in 2012, the airline leased two A320 Airbuses from Chinasonango (Pvt) Ltd of Hong Kong and the aircraft were fully insured by the lessor until March 19 2013.
However, the three acting in connivance with Pfumbidzayi and Innocent Mavhunga misrepresented to the airline that the Airbuses were not insured before originating four fictitious debit notes in the sum of US$1 659 276.
One debit note for US$360 448 was paid while the other three valued at US$1 298 827 were intercepted before release of funds.
The court heard that the three accused also received US$796 079 from the airline as premiums for hangar property which they pocketed.
On the other count, the State alleges that Colemont Insurance Brokers issued debit notes to the airline for aviation insurance for the period ranging from April 4 2009 to April 3 2010 covering the entire fleet of nine aircrafts.
Nderere, Hlupo, Mawire, Pfumbidzai and Mavhunga misrepresented to the airline that there was a need to pay €713 921,04 as aviation insurance for two aircrafts, it is alleged.
As a result Nderere, Hlupo and Mawire charged the airline the stated amount for the aircraft. Colemont Insurance Brokers confirmed that no additional premiums were supposed to be charged to Air Zimbabwe by Navistar.
The court heard that the three accused also received US$796 079 from the airline as premiums for hanger property which they pocketed.
Online Reporter