Chinese national up for fraud in Zimbabwe

A Chinese national residing in South Africa facing a fraud charge was denied bail by Harare magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka on Monday. Hu Dong, who is accused of defrauding Sunny Yi Feng Tiles Company of R2.7 million by purchasing tiles using counterfeit proof of payments, will remain in custody until his trial today.

The magistrate denied Hu bail, expressing concerns that he might attempt to flee the country. Hu was considered a flight risk because he had no relatives in Zimbabwe and did not own any property in the country.

The state alleges that on June 17 last year, Hu misled the Norton-based tiles company into believing he could pay for floor tiles worth R1,007,224. After receiving the tiles, he sent a fake proof of payment, claiming to have transferred R1,007,224 from his South African Standard Bank account.

In a similar manner, on August 24, 2022, Hu acquired floor tiles valued at R649,952 and used counterfeit proof of payment to claim payment. He repeated this tactic on November 28, 2022, when he received tiles worth R1,019,884.

Last week, Hu attempted to use the same scheme, ordering $45,000 worth of floor tiles from the complainant. However, the company had discovered his use of counterfeit proof of payments and alerted the authorities, leading to his arrest as he tried to flee from the company premises.