THE trial of Harare lawyer, Ryan Baglow, on a charge of misappropriating trust funds totalling US$200 000 resumed yesterday.
Baglow (35) of Matizanadzo and Warhurts Legal Practitioners, who is being represented by Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara, appeared before magistrate Ignatio Mhene denying the charge.
The State accuses Baglow of using two names to hoodwink his clients.
The complainant in the matter is Lake Fisheries, a company registered in Kariba, represented by one of its directors, David Edwin Webster.
It is alleged that in 2007, Webster and his co-director, the late Thomas Campbell Miller, formed a company named Stenplay Investments, which purchased the entire issued share capital in Lake Fresh Fishers Kariba Sardines and Sea Farmers from Peter Oscar Marchussen.
According to the State, Lake Fresh Fisheries had properties, stand numbers 473-566 Kariba Township, but due to financial inability, it decided to dispose of them to raise money for Lake Fresh Fisheries and its associated company’s capital and operational needs.
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Miller then expressed interest in purchasing the two stands for his company called Fairwinds Farming (Pvt) Limited and he approached his legal practitioner, Baglow for legal advice.
Miller knew Baglow as Ryan Stewart.
It is the State's case that Baglow fraudulently appointed “another” lawyer called Ryan Baglow to represent Lake Fresh Fisheries when in actual fact it was him who was using the two names.
Acting on the misrepresentation, the stands were sold to Miller for USS$200 000.
An agreement of sale for the two stands was drafted between Lake Fresh Fisheries and Fairwinds Farming where Baglow represented the seller, but according to the State, Baglow failed to account for the proceeds of the sale of the stands.
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