A FORMER director was dragged to court by his son after he allegedly took US$250 000 from a company that he used to own together with his late ex-wife.
Graham Garnet Metcalf (86), of Borrowdale Brooke in Harare and a former director for Lakeland Ventures (Pvt) Ltd, was given free bail by Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa pending further investigation when he appeared in court on Tuesday this week.
The complainant is Lakeland Ventures (Pvt) Ltd, a company being represented by Gregory Graham Hall from Kariba, in his capacity as a director.
Prosecutor Anesu Chirenje told the court that Metcalf is Hall’s father who divorced Noreece Lesley Hall, the complainant’s mother.
Metcalf was allegedly appointed director of Lakeland Ventures (Pvt) Ltd on June 4, 1994 and, at that time, the company had two directors, Metcalf and Noreece .
On January 13, 1997, a memorandum of agreement of sale was entered between Wenham Investments (Pvt) Ltd and Lakeland Ventures (Pvt) Ltd represented by Noreece to acquire Dandaro Village in Borrowdale, Harare, from Wenham Investments (Pvt) Ltd for US$1 million.
Chirenje said on May 11, 2005, Metcalf misrepresented that he bought Dandaro Village and fraudulently caused the Registrar of Companies and Deeds to transfer the property to his name.
Metcalf was later dismissed from Lakeland Ventures through a resolution at an annual general meeting on May 18, 2008.
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His name was removed from directorship at the Registrar of Companies
On May 21, 2008, the court heard, Noreece donated her 100 voting shares to Gregory Hall and he became the major shareholder. On May 22, 2008.
On December 20, 2010, Chirenje said, Noreece caused an allotment of 99 ordinary shares to Gregory and one ordinary share to one Lesley Hall.
On the same day, Noreece allotted 450 non-voting shares to Gregory and 450 non-voting shares to Melanie Jane Finaughty at US$0,10 each.
However, according to the State, Noreece died on November 3, 2010 while she was still a director, although she no longer owned shares in the company.
The company was left with two directors — Gregory and Lesley Hall.
The court heard that sometime in 2016, Metcalf allegedly sold Dandaro Village to Stephen Heathcote Hacker for US$250 000 and payment was made into Wintertons Legal Practitioners trust account.
On January 23, 2017, Metcalf allegedly caused the Registrar of Deeds to transfer Dandaro Village to Hacker’s name.
Hall discovered the offence and reported the matter to the police.
Investigations led to Metcalf’s arrest.
