Car dealer loses US$52 000 to bogus clearing agent

A Harare car dealer is counting his losses after being defrauded by a bogus dealer whom he paid more than US$50 000 to clear five trucks at the South African border.

The suspect, Tichaona Mupo Mhlakaza, appeared in court over the weekend but was not asked to plead. He is expected back in court today for a bail hearing.

Prosecutors allege that in January last year, Peter Sine purchased four tipper trucks in Durban, South Africa, intending to bring them into Zimbabwe. He subsequently sought assistance with the customs clearance process.

In the same month, Sine engaged Mhlakaza, who claimed to be an agent of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA). Mhlakaza allegedly told Sine he could facilitate the clearance of the trucks for a total cost of US$52 792.

On January 20, Mhlakaza sent Sine a purported proof of payment, claiming he had already paid the customs duty of ZiG1 626 000 through a ZIMRA agent named Globetrek Logistics. That same day, the two met at the corner of Leonard Brezhnev Street and Kwame Nkurumah Avenue in Harare, where Sine handed over US$52 792 to Mhlakaza.

However, on February 2 this year, Sine checked with ZIMRA to confirm the payment and discovered that no customs duty had been paid, contradicting the proof Mhlakaza had provided.

When Sine followed up, Mhlakaza allegedly failed to provide satisfactory explanations and attempted to implicate someone named Lloyd Mawadze, whom Sine did not know, as the originator of the fake payment document.

Realising he had been defrauded, Sine filed a police report, leading to Mhlakaza's arrest. As of now, no funds have been recovered.

Police investigations into the matter are ongoing.