Tonderai Saharo.
Naison Madyambwa who allegedly defrauded his Australian based female investor of US$60 000 in a mining claim deal took his victim to one of the biggest gold mines in Masvingo Province, Linnox Mine in Mashava as a cover up, the court has heard.
This emerged during the ongoing fraud trial of Madyambwa who runs Hiepeg Tyre Services when he appeared last week on Friday before Masvingo Magistrate, Elizabeth Hanzi.
Prosecutor, Godknows Magondo told the court that Achidaishe Mudzingwa who works for the Australian government as a psychologist entered into a verbal agreement with the businessman to buy a gold mine on her behalf in Mashava in February 2023.
The court heard that later that month when Mudzingwa had returned to her base in Australia, Madyambwa called his victim telling her that he had found a gold mine in Mashava and was in need of money to start the buying process.
On 3 March Mudzingwa then instructed Madyambwa to go and collect US$50 000 from Wailers Enterprises in Harare towards the purchasing of the gold mine.
Mudzingwa who was the first witness to take the stand, told the court that she was in constant communication with the businessman and she was assured that all paperwork was being processed with Madymbwa even sending her a final assay certificate as evidence that all was in order.
The Court heard that between March 2023 to January this year Madyambwa demanded various amounts of nearly US$10 000 on the pretense that he needed the money for workers’ salaries as well as buying mining equipment and machinery, claiming he had started mining operations.
The monies were sent via Worldremit and Access money transfer services.
Mudzingwa returned to the country sometime in January this year, and the businessman took her to Linnox Mine in Mashava on 10 January where she was shown a mine cite and was allowed to tour the premises as the new owner.
The Court also heard that Mudzingwa later returned to the site alone on 24 January to check on the gold mine processing but was denied entry to the mine.
She then tried to get hold of the businessman on several occasions but failed to locate him; that’s when she realised she had been duped and filed a police report.
Madyambwa is denying the charges and told the court that he was in a love relationship with the investor and she is making up the fraud allegations after ending the relationship when his wife had found out about the adulterous affair.
Madyambwa is being represented by Chalrles Ndlovu of Ndlovu and Ndlovu Legal Practitioners.
The trial resumes on 9 May.