A CHINESE transport broker appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court on Friday facing a charge of diverting six 30-tonne truckloads of chrome that belongs to Qingu Investments.
Xu Jinxi (46) appeared before Harare magistrate Estere Chivasa, who granted him US$300 bail before ordering him to return to court on August 22 for routine remand pending investigations.
Qingu Investments Private Limited is being represented by its director Zhang Xu.
According to court papers, sometime in March this year, Zhang, who has chrome ore in Mutorashanga was looking for transport to ferry the mineral to South Africa before he was referred to Xu, who is into the transport business.
The parties agreed that Xu would meet all statutory requirements and make sure the chrome ore is delivered to COSCO Warehouse in South Africa.
The court heard that the chrome ore was to be shipped to China.
It is alleged that between April 20 and May 23, the complainant gave Xu 52x30-tonne truckloads of chrome to transport to South Africa and cash for customs duty payment.
Xu allegedly prepared the 52 loads, but only delivered 46 to the warehouse in South Africa.
According to court documents, he allegedly diverted the other six to an unknown destination.
Xu was given US$26 000 cash by Zhang for duty purposes.
On August 9, the matter was reported to the police after Xu failed to account for six truckloads valued at US$44 245 and became evasive.
Mercy Masamvi represented the State.