The trial of former ZBC senior marketing executive, Stanley Musendo, and Harare lawyer, Tapiwa Givemore Kasuso, on charges of allegedly defrauding the Libyan government of property worth more than $4 million opened at the Harare Magistrates Court on Thursday.
The pleaded not guilty when they appeared before regional magistrate Fadzai Mthombeni.
Obi Mabahwana, representing the State, said sometime in 1999, the Libyan government invested in Zimbabwes transport and property sectors.
A company known as Crieff Investments was registered in Zimbabwe and was later changed to Aldawila Investments.
It is alleged the company bought 12 haulage trucks and 10 garden flats at Clamound Court in Avondale under the management of Khaled Alhachi Othman who was later replaced by Jalaledin Ghunim.
Musendo, the MD of PMC Marketing, was then allegedly tasked to manage the transport business and the flats when the complainant, Othman, fell sick and left for Libya in 2008.
It is alleged Musendo connived with Aldawila Investments lawyer, Kasuso, to draft a fake lease agreement dated November 17, 2008, which authorised the two to take over the properties.
They allegedly disposed of some of the properties. But in his defence, Musendo told the court through his lawyer Wellington Pasipanodya, he entered into a verbal agreement with Othman, which was later reduced to writing for his company, PMC Marketing to take over Aldawila Investment as a going concern.
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He accused Othman of seeking to politicise the matter and denied ever selling the complainants property or drafting fraudulent lease agreement as alleged.
Musendo told the court, Othman left everything belonging to Aldawila Investments in his companys custody as he was going away during the period at a time the country experienced an economic meltdown. His co-accused, Kasuso, who was represented by Admire Rubaya, also denied the charge.
Kasuso told the court he had no role to play in the alleged fraud as his instructions were simply to reduce into writing, a verbal agreement entered into between Musendo and Othman by preparing the memorandum of agreement.
He accused Othman of making up a case against him because he wanted to renege on a legal business transaction entered into between the parties. The trial continues on February 1.
