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Runesu Gwidi in MASVINGO
Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) provincial licensing head here Luke Manyamazi (36) has been arraigned before the newly-opened Masvingo Anti-corruption Court charged with fraud.
Manyamazi and his co-accused vehicle licensing agents, Jephias Magarasadza (29) and Enock Mapondo (24), were denied bail when they recently appeared before Masvingo provincial magistrate Mr Langhton Ndokera facing 127 counts of fraud involving $196 000.
The trio was remanded in custody pending trial today. Allegations are that, Manyamazi whose duties among others included creating and topping up ZINARA’s bulk licensing accounts, worked in cahoots with Magarasadza and Mapondo to create new accounts for bulk vehicle licensing clients with fictitious deposits, which he would later use to licence other vehicles.
The court heard that Manyamazi cleared licences of vehicles supplied to him by his accomplices using fictitious values.
The fake values were being created in accounts of four companies in Masvingo namely, Cold Storage Company, ACT Transport, Riverton Agro Masvingo, 12 Apostles, ZINWA and Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council.
Prosecuting, Mr Liberty Hove told the Court that the alleged scam took place during the period between January 2017 and April 30, 2019.
He said the trio allegedly used the fictitious deposit values to clear some of ZINARA clients with huge arrears in vehicle licence fees.
ZINARA suffered a prejudice of $196 000 as a result of the alleged scam. The alleged rot came to light after a thorough internal audit conducted by the authority.
Manyamazi and his two accomplices became the first accused persons to appear in the new Anti-Corruption Court, which was recently commissioned by Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza.
Online Reporter