News / National
Businessman acquitted of selling stolen fuel
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Kwekwe businessman Mr. Asif Kurawely, the director of Seven Rows Investments (Pvt) Limited, trading as Arman Petroleum, has been acquitted of charges alleging he sold stolen fuel.
Mr. Kurawely, 48, faced accusations of fraudulently acquiring 20,000 liters of diesel from Phoenix Oil Pvt Limited, a Harare-based company, in 2020. The allegations were first raised by Ms. Christine Matizha, who reported to the Kwekwe Central Police that Mr. Onismus Kufazvinei, a representative of Phoenix Oil, had stolen the diesel and sold it to Mr. Kurawely.
On October 9, 2020, detectives from CID Kwekwe issued a warrant for search and seizure at Mr. Kurawely's premises, instructing him not to dispose of the diesel, as it was considered evidence in the investigation. However, the matter was dismissed by then-Magistrate Ms. Florence Nago, allowing Mr. Kurawely to proceed with his business operations.
Mr. Kurawely's lawyer, Mr. Liberty Mashanyare, advised him that he could sell the diesel following the court's dismissal. This led to Mashanyare's own arrest on charges of obstructing justice, although he, too, was later acquitted.
In a recent ruling dated October 31, 2024, Magistrate Tembo formally dismissed the case against Mr. Kurawely, citing that the search warrant had long since expired, and no valid warrant remained. The court also noted that Mr. Kufazvinei, initially accused of stealing the fuel, had been acquitted for lack of evidence.
With this decision, Mr. Kurawely is cleared of all charges, bringing an end to a lengthy legal battle over the disputed fuel.
Mr. Kurawely, 48, faced accusations of fraudulently acquiring 20,000 liters of diesel from Phoenix Oil Pvt Limited, a Harare-based company, in 2020. The allegations were first raised by Ms. Christine Matizha, who reported to the Kwekwe Central Police that Mr. Onismus Kufazvinei, a representative of Phoenix Oil, had stolen the diesel and sold it to Mr. Kurawely.
On October 9, 2020, detectives from CID Kwekwe issued a warrant for search and seizure at Mr. Kurawely's premises, instructing him not to dispose of the diesel, as it was considered evidence in the investigation. However, the matter was dismissed by then-Magistrate Ms. Florence Nago, allowing Mr. Kurawely to proceed with his business operations.
In a recent ruling dated October 31, 2024, Magistrate Tembo formally dismissed the case against Mr. Kurawely, citing that the search warrant had long since expired, and no valid warrant remained. The court also noted that Mr. Kufazvinei, initially accused of stealing the fuel, had been acquitted for lack of evidence.
With this decision, Mr. Kurawely is cleared of all charges, bringing an end to a lengthy legal battle over the disputed fuel.
Source - the chronicle
