News / National
Chinese couple acquitted in Zimbabwe
14 Apr 2012 at 10:00hrs | Views
A CHINESE couple was yesterday acquitted of swindling a furniture company of shares worth US$500 000 while their alleged accomplice - a local businessman was locked up after he was convicted of the offence. Zhaosheng Wu and Yan Yu were jointly charged with Dawid Johannes Erasmus, the director of Eras Accounting and Executor Services who was convicted after the court ruled that he was the mastermind of the fraud.
In a judgment delivered yesterday, regional magistrate Mr Never Katiyo said the State witnesses (Mr Atur Fernado Pereia Dias, his wife and daughter) were consistent in their testimonies and were not shaken during cross-examination.
He said Mr Diaz and his family were conducting their business until Erasmus' intervention.
Mr Katiyo said the issue of language barrier came into play as Zhaosheng was poor in English to the extent that the court had to use an interpreter.
"It would appear that he was taken advantage of by the 1st accused (Erasmus)," he said.
The magistrate said the court had no doubt the couple was made to believe that all was well.
"First accused (Erasmus) who has been working with the complainant for a long time was aware of their signatures and could have forged them."
In a judgment delivered yesterday, regional magistrate Mr Never Katiyo said the State witnesses (Mr Atur Fernado Pereia Dias, his wife and daughter) were consistent in their testimonies and were not shaken during cross-examination.
He said Mr Diaz and his family were conducting their business until Erasmus' intervention.
"It would appear that he was taken advantage of by the 1st accused (Erasmus)," he said.
The magistrate said the court had no doubt the couple was made to believe that all was well.
"First accused (Erasmus) who has been working with the complainant for a long time was aware of their signatures and could have forged them."
Source - TH
