A Cotton Company of Zimbabwe Limited (COTTCO) boss appeared in court on Friday facing charges of fraud and criminal abuse of office.
Munyaradzi Chikasha, who is the COTTCO acting managing director, appeared before Harare regional magistrate Lazini Ncube.
Chikasha was released on US$100 bail and ordered to surrender his passport as well as not to interfere with witnesses.
He was advised to return to court on June 12.
Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti said sometime in 2021, Chikasha who was then employed as the Cottco Chiredzi depot business manager, devised a plan to have his trucks contracted to ferry Cottco goods.
He allegedly bought two trucks and went on to register them in the name of his nephew Tapiwa Joshua Chabata.
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Chikasha instructed him to open a bank account with BancABC where the payments would be made.
The court heard Chikasha went on to conclude contracts between Chabata and Cottco Chiredzi Depot for transport services.
Owing to this contract, Chikasha’s trucks were then used to transport Cottco goods on various occasions.
The payments for the services rendered by the trucks were received promptly under the instruction of Chikasha.
According to the State, investigations carried out so far have established that Chikasha did not disclose his personal interest to his employer.
It has further been established that Chikasha, using ill-gotten funds from the transportation services, has managed to acquire two more trucks.