FIVE Bulls Leisure, a director and a consultant appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court on Saturday charged with fraud after they received US$17 364 for booking and payment for Christmas holiday travel for a family in Harare before converting it to their own use.
The company was charged together with director Tichatonga Mudzonga and consultant Eve Tsvangira who appeared before a Harare magistrate and were released on US$200 bail each.
They were remanded to January 27.
Allegations are that sometime in February this year, the complainant who is not named in court papers saw an advertisement of Five Bulls Leisure on Facebook stating that the company was a registered leisure and travel agency which offers booking services for cruise ship, air tickets, hotels and airport transfers for holiday cruise bookings in Durban, South Africa.
The complainant went to Five Bulls Leisure offices at number 176 Longcheng Plaza, Belvedere, Harare and was attended by Mudzonga and Tsvangira who confirmed that they offer the advertised services.
The complainant wanted to book a package of eight people to cruise from Durban, South Africa via Mozambique to Japan.
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The accused persons gave her a quotation amounting to US$12 377 which was a package for eight people for the cruise and another quotation of US$4 987 for the air tickets.
It is alleged that during the period between February and September, the complainant paid a total amount of US$ 17 364 in six instalments and the money was received by Mudzonga who issued her with receipts in the name of Five Bulls Leisure and assured her that the cruise ship bookings will be made with MSC Cruise Ship Company.
On September 28, the complainant approached Tsvangira enquiring about the bookings and she referred the complainant to Mudzonga the director who she referred to as her employer.
The complainant approached Mudzonga who indicated to her that they had successfully booked with MSC Cruise Ship Company and promised to supply the complainant with confirmation tickets and proof of payment.
The complainant and her family were supposed to leave for the holiday on December 23.
The complainant made a follow-up on the tickets and was only given air tickets valued at US$4 986 and was never given any confirmation tickets of the bookings made at MSC Cruise Ship Company.
The complainant was not satisfied with the answers she got from the accused persons and enquired on her own from MSC Cruise Ship Company and the company confirmed that they were bookings for some members on the complainant's package which were made by Mudzonga but payment was not made resulting in cancellation of the bookings.
Some of the people in the complainant's package were never booked at all.
MSC Cruise Ship Company also told the complainant that it had closed bookings on November 20.
The accused persons did not pay for the bookings and converted the money to their own use.
The accused became evasive, prompting the complainant to make a police report.
The complainant suffered prejudice of US$17 364.
Total value recovered is US$ 4 987.