Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
Court Reporter
THREE Beitbridge-based businessmen appeared in court on Tuesday, accused of smuggling diesel worth half a million dollars into the country last year.
The three Calton Makano, Moderick Chitengedza and Lazarus Dembo were not asked to plead when they appeared before Harare magistrate Jessie Kufa.
Prosecutor Oscar Madhume alleged that between January and May last year, the trio, acting in connivance with Farai Makombe, who also appeared in court over the weekend and Brian Mutimbanyoka, who is at large, connived to defraud Kelvin Ben by using his company Mukwano Private Limited to smuggle diesel.
Pursuant to their plan, the trio and their accomplices, on different occasions, imported a total of 330 000 liters of diesel from South Africa to Zimbabwe through Beitbridge Border Post.
Once at the border, Makano, Chitengedza and Farai Makombe would then falsity documents and misrepresent to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) that the product being imported was Naphthalene, a product which is exclusively exempted from paying duty and that the importation of the product was for Mukwano Private Limited.
In actual fact, it was their organised syndicate in their personal capacity importing diesel as a way of evading mandatory customs duty for the diesel.
After importing the diesel, the trio would then store the diesel at Dembo’s depot at number 15185 Chrome Place, Kelvin West, Bulawayo, before selling it to their several clients scattered around the country.
On January 30, the police arrested Makombe, who implicated his accomplices and Mutimbanyoka, who is still at large.
The total value involved is US$495 000 and nothing was recovered.
Prosecutor Madhume opposed bail.
