News / National
Harare businessman faces US$80 000 fraud charge
30 May 2012 at 06:21hrs | Views
A Harare businessman, Clifford Mutuvira, 45, appeared before a Harare Magistrate on Tuesday charged with fraud involving more than US$80 000.
Mutuvira the owner of Mutuvira Luxury Coaches is jointly charged with Cuthbert Magumise (33) who is the operations manager of Pangolin Buses.
It is alleged the two bus companies are not registered for Value Added Tax.
Mutuvira and Magumise reportedly misrepresented themselves to Zimra officials as directors of Hi-Tech Transport, a VAT registered company in a bid to claim US$88 771 from Zimra.
According to the State, VAT registration entitles one to a VAT refund for all the purchases he/she would have made in the registered company's name.
Mutuvira and Magumise were not asked to plead to fraud charges when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei who remanded them to June 11 on US$200 bail apiece.
As part of their bail conditions, the pair was ordered to surrender their passports and not to interfere with witnesses and investigations.
Prosecutor Miss Ellaine Mokora alleges that sometime last year, Mutuvira bought a Scania bus and during the same period Magumise's employer, Hunyani Investments trading as Pangolin Buses, also bought a similar bus.
Magumise and Mutuvira then hatched a plan to defraud Zimra by claiming VAT refund for the two buses.
It is alleged they manufactured company documents of Hi-Tech and in November last year the duo armed with the fake documents, approached Lovemore Chamatowa a consultant and misrepresented to him that they were directors of Hi-Tech.
They gave him photocopies of VAT tax invoice and VAT output figures and engaged him to do a VAT refund claim of US$88 771 for the two buses.
It is the State's case that the consultant submitted the fake documents to Zimra and was ordered to produce the original documents but Mutuvira failed to give the consultant the original copies and instead engaged another consultant.
They also misrepresented to him that they were directors of Hi-Tech before giving him fake documents to claim VAT which he submitted to Zimra.
Miss Mokora further alleged that in February this year, Zimra officials discovered the offence and informed the director of Hi-Tech, Chivanga Ndhlukula who was unaware of the scam.
Ndhlukula made a police report which led to the arrest of Mutuvira and Magumise.
Mutuvira the owner of Mutuvira Luxury Coaches is jointly charged with Cuthbert Magumise (33) who is the operations manager of Pangolin Buses.
It is alleged the two bus companies are not registered for Value Added Tax.
Mutuvira and Magumise reportedly misrepresented themselves to Zimra officials as directors of Hi-Tech Transport, a VAT registered company in a bid to claim US$88 771 from Zimra.
According to the State, VAT registration entitles one to a VAT refund for all the purchases he/she would have made in the registered company's name.
Mutuvira and Magumise were not asked to plead to fraud charges when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei who remanded them to June 11 on US$200 bail apiece.
As part of their bail conditions, the pair was ordered to surrender their passports and not to interfere with witnesses and investigations.
Magumise and Mutuvira then hatched a plan to defraud Zimra by claiming VAT refund for the two buses.
It is alleged they manufactured company documents of Hi-Tech and in November last year the duo armed with the fake documents, approached Lovemore Chamatowa a consultant and misrepresented to him that they were directors of Hi-Tech.
They gave him photocopies of VAT tax invoice and VAT output figures and engaged him to do a VAT refund claim of US$88 771 for the two buses.
It is the State's case that the consultant submitted the fake documents to Zimra and was ordered to produce the original documents but Mutuvira failed to give the consultant the original copies and instead engaged another consultant.
They also misrepresented to him that they were directors of Hi-Tech before giving him fake documents to claim VAT which he submitted to Zimra.
Miss Mokora further alleged that in February this year, Zimra officials discovered the offence and informed the director of Hi-Tech, Chivanga Ndhlukula who was unaware of the scam.
Ndhlukula made a police report which led to the arrest of Mutuvira and Magumise.
Source - Th
