Zvikomborero Parafini
THREE men are being accused of allegedly defrauding a Harare medical doctor of more than US$28,000 in a botched vehicle import deal involving fake ZIMRA rebate documents.
Noah Batton Munama (32), Ronald Chongore (21) and Sydney Mupemhi (23) are facing fraud allegations after a vehicle bought from South Africa was allegedly seized at Beitbridge Border Post.
Authorities discovered that the documents used in its duty assessment had been falsified.
The State alleges that sometime in June, the doctor wanted to import a vehicle using a rebate and was referred to Munama to facilitate the process.
She subsequently bought a Toyota Fortuner from South African company ‘We Buy Cars’ for ZAR402 300 and allegedly deposited US$25 636 into a CBZ account provided by Munama for the purchase.
The court heard that she later successfully applied for a vehicle rebate, which ZIMRA granted on August 13. Munama allegedly advised her that she would have to pay duty on the amount exceeding the US$10,000 rebate threshold.
It is alleged that Munama later sent her information, which purportedly originated from Chongore, indicating that the excess duty had been assessed at US$909,49, which she paid directly into a ZIMRA CBZ account.
However, the vehicle was never delivered.
The State alleges Munama subsequently told her that ZIMRA officials at Beitbridge had seized the Fortuner after discovering that a fake rebate document had allegedly been submitted for its clearance.
The document allegedly understated the vehicle’s purchase price as ZAR210 000 instead of ZAR402 300 for purposes of assessing duty.
Munama allegedly implicated Chongore as the person who had cleared the vehicle at the border.
The doctor approached ZIMRA’s Beitbridge regional office and was allegedly advised that the vehicle had been seized and that she faced a US$19,000 penalty, while her rebate had been cancelled.
She appealed against the decision but the ZIMRA Commissioner upheld the regional manager’s decision on September 14 and advised her to make a police report.
Munama was arrested on September 23 and allegedly implicated Chongore, who was arrested at Beitbridge Border Post five days later.
Chongore, in turn, allegedly implicated Mupemhi as the person who had submitted the fake rebate documents to ZIMRA for assessment, leading to his arrest. The State says the doctor suffered an actual prejudice of US$28,535 and faces a further potential prejudice of US$40,179,58.
Nothing was recovered.
The State initially opposed bail, arguing that the trio could abscond or interfere with outstanding witnesses and investigations. They were, however, granted US$100 bail each, with conditions that they reside at their given addresses, not interfere with witnesses and report once a fortnight to designated police stations.
