admin000 and US$5 000, was yesterday granted US$1 500 bail.
Zimondi who is the director-general of military sports is also facing a charge of conspiracy to commit fraud or alternatively conspiracy to unlawfully dealing in precious stones.
Zimondi (56) is jointly charged with Jackson Makate (29) and Blessing July (26).
Zimondi, Makate and July were granted US$1 000 bail each on the case involving R235 000.
On the second count involving US$5 000, Zimondi was granted US$200 bail and US$300 on the last count.
The three were ordered to report twice a week at CID frauds and on the conspiracy charge, Zimondi was ordered to report at CID minerals.
In granting the three bail, presiding magistrate Mr Shane Kubonera noted that Zimondi was a suitable candidate for bail.
“The court would also like to avoid pre-trial incarceration since it is accused’s liberty at stake,” he said.
Mr Kubonera remanded the trio to July 1 for routine remand.
Prosecutor Mr Tapiwa Kasema alleges also that on March 18 this year, Zimondi, July, Makate and his twin brother Jack, who is still at large, misrepresented to Muboko Zvitei that they had formed a company called Mutoko Gold Mine, which required 50 Electro plated discs.
Zimondi, it is alleged, invited Zvitei to New Ambassador Hotel were he showed her an invoice purportedly issued by the mining company.
Zvitei was allegedly made to believe that the discs were to be supplied by a South African company at a cost of R4 700 per disc and in return would be sold to the mining firm at US$1 780 per disc.
It is the State’s case that Zimondi convinced Zvitei that he had applied for a loan to fund the deal and told him that the process was taking too long at the bank. Zimondi, the court heard, told Zvitei to finance the deal on condition they would share the profits equally.
Zimondi then introduced Makate and July to Zvitei and the trio assured her that the deal was above board, it is alleged.
Mr Kasema alleged that Makate proposed to go to South Africa to meet the suppliers of the discs but Zvitei insisted that a memorandum of agreement be entered into between her and the trio.
Zimondi allegedly acted as the guarantor.
The unsuspecting Zvitei transferred R235 000 from her account into a South African ABSA Bank account, says the State.
It is the State’s case that Makate brought the discs from SA and Zvitei discovered that they were of no value and that the mine was non-existent.
She then went to SA in a bid to obtain a refund only to find out that the addresses of suppliers she had been given were fake.
She made a police report and the trio was arrested on June 16 this year.
It is further alleged that Zimondi, Tichaona Matambanadzo and Chinyangare allegedly misrepresented to Jimmy Makurumbandi that they were organising a trip to Geneva, Switzerland, on Government business.
The arrangement was that Makurumbandi would go with Matambanadzo and Chinyangare in place of Zimondi whom they claim was under sanctions.
The trio ordered him to pay US$5 000, which was to be refunded upon their return.
Makurumbandi lost US$5 000 to the trio for the trip, which never materialised.
Online Reporter