A Bulawayo businesswoman married to a Nigerian has appeared in court for allegedly swindling a city woman of $50 000 after lying she had won a contract to supply clothes to a leading clothing retail shop.
Amanda Anne Onwuchukwu, director of Dui Multiple, was charged with fraud when she briefly appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa on Wednesday, but was not asked to plead.
She was remanded to August 14 on $400 bail accompanied by stringent reporting conditions.
Prosecutor Jerry Mutsindikwa told the court that sometime in January this year, Onwuchukwu approached the complainant, Anne Thokozani Ncube, in the city and allegedly indicated to her she wanted to borrow $50 000 to finance her contract with Edgars Stores.
She allegedly claimed the contract was worth $88 000.
She reportedly told her victim that she intended to travel to China to purchase goods for the order.
On January 26, Onwechukwu allegedly knowing that her Deed of Transfer in respect of her house in Matsheumhlope was lodged with Interfin Bank against a loan of $10 000, misrepresented to Ncube and ceded to her a counterfeit copy of the title deeds together with the power of attorney as collateral.
She did not tell her that the deeds were a registered bond with the bank and Ncube released the money, the court heard.
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The matter came to light on July 27 after Onwechukwu failed to repay the loan and Ncube approached her lawyers to transfer the house into her name.
The lawyers discovered the title deeds and power of attorney offered by Onwechukwu were defunct in that the originals were lodged and bonded with Interfin Bank.
A report was made to the police, leading to Onwechukwu’s arrest
