A HARARE businessman is counting his losses after he was allegedly duped by a bogus clearing agent whom he paid over US$50,000 to clear five trucks at Beitbridge Border Post. The suspect, Tichaona Mupo Mhlakaza, was not asked to plead when he appeared in court over the weekend. He is expected back in court today for bail considerations.
The complainant is businessman Peter Sine. Prosecutors alleged that in January last year, Sine bought four Tipper Trucks in Durban, South Africa, which he intended to import into Zimbabwe. He started looking for a person who could assist him with customs clearance processes.
He engaged Mhlakaza, who indicated to him that he was a ZIMRA agent. Mhlakaza allegedly indicated he could facilitate the clearance of the four Tipper Trucks at a total cost of US$52,792. On January 20, Mhlakaza allegedly sent Sine a proof of payment showing that he had already paid for the duty in ZiG.
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He claimed he had paid 1,626 000 ZiG, through a ZIMRA Agent by the name Globetrek Logistics. On the same date, the two met at the corner of Fifth Street and Kwame Nkurumah Avenue in Harare at around midday. Sine paid US$52,792 to Mhlakaza.
On February 2 this year, Sine checked with ZIMRA to find out if the payment processes for his four trucks had been completed. He was told that no payment had been made to ZIMRA. The proof of payment which he was shown was a fake one.
Sine approached Mhlakaza for answers and he was directed to a third party, Lloyd Mawadze. That was when the businessman realised that he had been duped and filed a police report at ZRP Fife Avenue leading to Mhlakaza’s arrest. Nothing was recovered.
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