PROMINENT Bulawayo businessman Dinesh Naran, who was convicted of fraud involving €64 994, was on Monday given a wholly suspended 12 month jail term and fined $2 000.
REPORT BY SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER Naran (51) of Killarney suburb, had pleaded not guilty to fraud when he appeared before Bulawayo Regional Court magistrate Owen Tagu.
He was convicted last month, but through his lawyer Munyaradzi Nzarayapenga, asked the court to postpone mitigation and sentence pending his written submissions for review of the State case on grounds of the exchange rates used in determining the amount involved in the case.
He also asked for bail of $200 which was turned down by the magistrate. Naran’s application for review of the case was also turned down on Monday, prompting magistrate Tagu to hand down the sentence. The court heard that on December 19 2006 Naran misrepresented to Harare businessman Paradzai Mutandwa Chakona that he could help him import a Mercedes-Benz ML250 CDL model from England using free funds.
Naran claimed the vehicle was worth €64 994.
As a result, Chakona paid him Z$580 922 400, equivalent to $134 200 at that time.
On February 9 2007, Naran faxed a fraudulent Barclays Bank transfer document purporting that he had transferred £30 000 to suppliers of the vehicle, Stenham Global Services Limited, based in England.
On February 13 2007, he faxed another fraudulent Barclays Bank transfer document to Chakona purporting he had transferred £16 150 to the same company for the purchase of the vehicle.
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On June 13 2008, Chakona discovered that the transfers were fake and approached Naran demanding an explanation.
The court heard that Naran apologised to Chakona and made a signed undertaking promising to reimburse the $134 200.
Naran, however, dishonoured the agreement, prompting Chakona to report the matter to the police, leading to the businessman’s arrest in June 2010.
He started appearing in court in June 10 2010, when he was granted $300 bail.
Goodluck Katenaire prosecuted.
