Warrant of arrest ZNA fraudster

A BULAWAYO magistrate has issued a warrant of arrest for a city woman who swindled her business partner of $10,500 after claiming to have struck a lucrative tender deal to supply 600 pairs of shoes to the Zimbabwe National Army.

Emily Nyatsanza, 38, of Sizinda suburb, a sales representative at Pathfinder Salelane Enterprises in Bulawayo, was scheduled to appear yesterday before magistrate Gladmore Mushove on fraud charges.

In her first court appearance, Nyatsanza pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Prosecuting, Jeremiah Mutsindikwa said on January 29 this year Nyatsanza approached Eustina Maposa, 46, and offered to venture into a business partnership with her claiming she had secured a tender to supply 600 pairs of shoes to the ZNA.

Maposa, who felt she could not resist the deal, was tempted into funding the project.

Nyatsanza then asked Maposa, who is the proprietor of Kwa-Mothers Restaurant situated along Robert Mugabe Way in Bulawayo, to give her $1,000 which was to be deposited into her account to facilitate the deal.

She told Maposa that she had been awarded tenders to also supply the police and Air Force of Zimbabwe with shoes hence she needed more capital to fund the project. She was given the money which in total amounted to $10, 500.

Mutsindikwa said the money was deposited into Nyatsanza's EcoCash account.

In her evidence, Maposa told the court each time she inquired about their purported deal, Nyatsanza would become evasive.

"I became suspicious when I asked Nyatsanza about our deal and she would give me all sorts of excuses. At one time she claimed that one of her clients, ZNA, had not paid her the money and were in the process of doing so. Later I realised that I had been duped and that is when I reported her to the police," she said.

On being arrested, Nyatsanza failed to produce the documents to prove she had been awarded the tenders.

However, in defence, through her lawyer, Costa Dube of Mcijo Dube and Partners, Nyatsanza argued she only borrowed $6, 500 from Maposa intending to buy shoes for resale to her customers.

"I borrowed the money on the understanding that I would pay it back with an interest. I only received $6, 500 and so far I managed to pay back $500. I delivered 1,000 pairs of shoes to the ZNA but there are delays in payment and I told Maposa that I would only be able to pay her money back once payment is done," she said.