Air Commodore Kennedy Remigio Zimondi, who is also the director-general of military sports in the Ministry of Defence, has been arrested on two counts of fraud involving $5 000 and R235 000.
The Air Force of Zimbabwe’s Number 3 in command also faces a third charge of conspiracy to commit fraud.
Zimondi (56), who resides in Harare’s leafy Greystone Park suburb, was brought to court yesterday, but was not asked to plead.
He appeared before provincial magistrate Shane Kubonera and was remanded in custody to tomorrow. On the first charge, the State alleges Zimondi teamed up with Jackson Makate (29) and Blessing July (26) to defraud Muboko Zvitei of R235 000.
According to court papers, on March 18, Zimondi, acting in connivance with Jackson and his twin brother Jack Makate, who is still at large, allegedly misrepresented to Zvitei that the trio had formed a company called Mutoko Gold Mine which required 50 electro- plated discs.
Zimondi allegedly invited Zvitei to New Ambassador Hotel where he showed her an invoice purportedly issued by the said Mutoko Gold Mine and misrepresented that the discs were to be supplied by a South African company.
The air commodore allegedly convinced Zvitei to finance thedeal so they could share the profits equally. Makate and July were later introduced to her.
Makate is said to have proposed to go to South Africa where he would purportedly meet the suppliers and make verification on goods to be purchased.
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Zimondi allegedly acted as the guarantor to the memorandum of agreement and acting on the misrepresentation, Zvitei is said to have transferred a total amount of R235 000 to Absa Bank in South Africa.
Makate allegedly brought the discs, but Zvitei later discovered that the mine did not exist and that the products purportedly brought from South Africa were “of no value”.
Zvitei then went to South Africa in a bid to get a refund from the suppliers, but discovered that the addresses supplied to her were false.
In the “conspiracy to fraud” case, Zimondi allegedly connived with Edith Chinyangare and misrepresented to foreign diamond buyers from Russia that they were licensed diamond dealers.
On June 9, the duo proceeded to the Mining Resource head office in Avondale where they misrepresented themselves to officials at the company that they were on a government mission to purchase rough diamonds and that they were from the Ministry of Mines.
They were authorised to enter the diamond vault in Msasa for the purpose of viewing and buying diamonds. Their identity was later unmasked by the police who questioned their credentials and it was discovered that the pair were masquerading as officials appointed by the government.
On the other fraud charge involving $5 000, Zimondi, Chinyangare and Tichaona Matambanadzo, who is still at large, allegedly defrauded Jimmy Makurumbandi of Mbare.
It is alleged they misrepresented to Makurumbandi that they had organised a trip to Geneva, Switzerland, on government business.
The arrangement was that the complainant would proceed with Matambanadzo and Chinyangare in place of Zimondi whom they alleged was under a travel ban. Zimondi and his accomplices allegedly requested for the complainant to pay $5 000 for their trip as it was a self-sponsored journey and promised he would be refunded upon their return.
The complainant was allegedly shown a travel confirmation which was only a booking and which has remained so up to date. Tapiwa Kasema prosecuted.
