Harare businessman Takesure Mbano has been implicated in a $2 500 fraud case involving the supply of shirts and gloves to the Zimbabwe National Army.
Report by Richard Muponde
Mbano, of Faraway Farm, Ruwa, last Thursday denied the charge when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Charity Maphosa.
The State alleges that sometime in April this year, Mbano won a tender to supply the army with 200 white shirts and gloves.
However, since he did not have money to purchase the required material, he allegedly approached his girlfriend’s cousin, Sheila Ante and borrowed money from her. The pair struck a deal and Ante agreed to give Mbano $2 500 for the purchase of the material in Botswana on condition the latter would pay back the loan plus interest. They also agreed that they would use Mbano’s company name, Mbano Investments and bank account.
After sealing the alleged deal, both Ante and Mbano travelled to Botswana to buy the material.
On their way back, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority charged them $944 duty for the goods and Ante allegedly paid the sum.
Mbano later allegedly supplied the goods to the army and received an initial payment of $2 000 and gave $1 800 to Ante.
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The army allegedly made further payments into Mbano’s bank account, but he converted the money to his own use, prejudicing Ante of the additional $1 700 she was entitled to.
However, Mbano denied the fraud charge when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Charity Maphosa.
In his defence, Mbano said he had paid back the loan including interest charges.
He was remanded out of custody to Friday for trial.
Mbano is not new to the courts after he was last month fined $100 (or two months in prison) for failing to secure a firearm after he left it in his bag at a food outlet in the city centre while attending a court session on another fraud case which is pending at the Bulawayo Regional Court.