A HARARE man yesterday appeared in court facing a fraud charge after he allegedly forged Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) receipts, prejudicing the State of US$36 100 in a dual import scheme.
Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi remanded Pedzisai Mudiwa (34) from Hatfield, who is facing two counts of fraud, out of custody to November 4.
Prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi alleged that in 2022, Mudiwa intended to import fuel through Forbes Border Post in Mutare, but instead of using the correct channel, he allegedly hatched a plan to defraud Zinara.
According to the State, Mudiwa connived with Tinapan Investiments (Pvt) Ltd, Tinashe Jongwe and Panashe Jongwe and forged or generated fake receipts showing that they had paid the 6% Zinara road levy.
After having generated the receipt, they allegedly tendered the said receipts to the Energy and Power Development ministry to obtain fuel import permits.
As a result, they successfully obtained permits and imported fuel without paying US$36 100 in Zinara road levy.
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Chonzi submitted that acting on the misrepresentation, the Energy and Power Development ministry issued support letters to Mudiwa for use in obtaining the fuel import permit from the Industry and Commerce ministry.
The court heard that information was later received from a source that Mudiwa applied for fuel import permits using fake Zinara receipts.
Investigations were made and the fake Zinara receipts tendered to the Energy and Power Development ministry were recovered.
The State submitted that checks were made with Zinara and the receipts were found not in the system.
The fake documents were also declared as not belonging to roads authority.
Chonzi told the court that as a result, Zinara suffered prejudice of US$36 100 being 6% of the total cost of fuel imported.
The second count concerns VIFOT Investment (Pvt) Ltd, a Zimbabwean entity which held a Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority licence to import fuel for the year 2022.
It is alleged that Mudiwa allegedly used forged documents to facilitate an application for a fuel permit to the Industry and Commerce ministry and imported 19 consignments through Forbes Border in Mutare, using VIFOT’s name without the knowledge and consent of the company.