Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
THREE Beitbridge-based businessmen allegedly smuggled diesel worth over US$500,000 into the country by fooling authorities that it was nephthalene, last year.
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, used a company owned by Kelvin Ben, Mukwano (Pvt) Ltd, to smuggle the diesel.
Pursuant to their plan the trio, and their accomplices, imported a total of 330 000 litres of diesel from South Africa to Zimbabwe through the Beitbridge Border Post.
Once at the border, Makano, Chitengedza and Makombe would then falsify documents to give a misrepresentation to ZIMRA that the product being imported was Naphthalene.
They chose Naphthalene because it is exclusively exempted from paying duty.
The trio would then store the diesel at Dembo’s depot at number 15185 Chrome Place, Kelvin West, Bulawayo, before selling it to several clients around the country.
On January 30, the police arrested Makombe, who implicated his accomplices.
The total value involved is US$495,000 and nothing was recovered.
Prosecutor Madhume opposed bail.
