News / National
Wanted fraudster still in hiding
19 Dec 2017 at 13:45hrs | Views
AS the new order seeks to root out corruption and encourage business to return to Zimbabwe, a wanted fraudster is reportedly in hiding under an assumed name in Harare.
According to information gleaned by The Financial Gazette from various sources in Zimbabwe, businesswoman, Patience Chivasa, is wanted for defrauding a former business associate, Dharmesh inaNagar, who withdrew his business interests from Zimbabwe as a result.
Chivasa, who was advanced US$20 000 by Nagar's marketing business in order to serve as a business broker, allegedly failed to deliver the service and is being accused of absconding with the money. She later alleged that Nagar forged documents in order to have her arrested. The matter went to trial in 2015 and she was convicted of fraud, after which she successfully appealed the criminal conviction. However, she was again convicted of fraud in the civil court in May 2016 and she has been in hiding ever since.
While in hiding, Chivasa embarked on a smear campaign against Nagar in a bid to avoid having to pay the money she owed. The move negatively impacted Nagar's family, and business in Zimbabwe and abroad.
A senior member of the gujurati community in Harare, who spoke on condition of anonymity, notes: "I know the family as far back as their great grandfather the late Nagar Hari who also was an impeccable man and entrepreneur and who also contributed to the growth of this country. Young Nagar's father, who was also a leading industrialists in Zimbabwe employed over 1 000 people in Zimbabwe."
"The Nagar business had been contributing positively to the country's GDP and economic welfare of the citizens by creating employment. It really saddened me last year that some of our people made fun of young Nagar when the story broke, we should be proud of young Nagar that he is one of us and making his place in history locally and internationally," the member said.
David Muhamba, a former associate of Chivasa, says Nagar was not the only businessman to have fallen victim to Chivasa. He alleges that he also lost money to her schemes. "We now know that Chivasa is living in the Newlands suburb under the name of her boyfriend, and that she has hidden her furniture and possessions in order to avoid having them seized," he said.
Muhamba says he believes it is only a matter of time before Chivasa and other previously-connected business people who abused their positions of power are brought to justice.
"Under the old order, dubious business practices had become rampant, the media was misled into publishing smear campaigns on behalf of the well-connected, and even corrupt officials were deployed to ensure that fraudsters evaded justice," says Nagar.
"The end result was that businesses such as ours withdrew from Zimbabwe, impacting trade and jobs. We are optimistic that the new government's efforts to root out corruption will ensure that businesses like ours receive justice at last, and can thus return to Zimbabwe to help rebuild the economy," he said.
According to information gleaned by The Financial Gazette from various sources in Zimbabwe, businesswoman, Patience Chivasa, is wanted for defrauding a former business associate, Dharmesh inaNagar, who withdrew his business interests from Zimbabwe as a result.
Chivasa, who was advanced US$20 000 by Nagar's marketing business in order to serve as a business broker, allegedly failed to deliver the service and is being accused of absconding with the money. She later alleged that Nagar forged documents in order to have her arrested. The matter went to trial in 2015 and she was convicted of fraud, after which she successfully appealed the criminal conviction. However, she was again convicted of fraud in the civil court in May 2016 and she has been in hiding ever since.
While in hiding, Chivasa embarked on a smear campaign against Nagar in a bid to avoid having to pay the money she owed. The move negatively impacted Nagar's family, and business in Zimbabwe and abroad.
A senior member of the gujurati community in Harare, who spoke on condition of anonymity, notes: "I know the family as far back as their great grandfather the late Nagar Hari who also was an impeccable man and entrepreneur and who also contributed to the growth of this country. Young Nagar's father, who was also a leading industrialists in Zimbabwe employed over 1 000 people in Zimbabwe."
David Muhamba, a former associate of Chivasa, says Nagar was not the only businessman to have fallen victim to Chivasa. He alleges that he also lost money to her schemes. "We now know that Chivasa is living in the Newlands suburb under the name of her boyfriend, and that she has hidden her furniture and possessions in order to avoid having them seized," he said.
Muhamba says he believes it is only a matter of time before Chivasa and other previously-connected business people who abused their positions of power are brought to justice.
"Under the old order, dubious business practices had become rampant, the media was misled into publishing smear campaigns on behalf of the well-connected, and even corrupt officials were deployed to ensure that fraudsters evaded justice," says Nagar.
"The end result was that businesses such as ours withdrew from Zimbabwe, impacting trade and jobs. We are optimistic that the new government's efforts to root out corruption will ensure that businesses like ours receive justice at last, and can thus return to Zimbabwe to help rebuild the economy," he said.
Source - Financial Gazette
