MASHONALAND East Zanu PF provincial chairperson Ray Kaukonde has been fingered in a suspected 300-hectare land scam involving property belonging to Harare businessman Chemist Siziba.
REPORT BY CHARLES LAITON SENIOR COURT REPORTER
The scam was allegedly hatched by businessman Craig John William Danckwerts who, after selling the land to Siziba, turned around and filed fraudulent forms at the Registrar of Deeds offices purporting to be still in charge of the properties with Kaukonde and others as co-directors.
He later caused Siziba’s arrest accusing him of stealing his property.
Danckwerts appeared in court yesterday facing a fraud charge.
The land in question, which is near Harare International Airport, is identified in court documents as Lot 4 and 5 of Arlington Estate measuring 200,0347 and 104,0809 hectares respectively.
The State alleges that sometime in December 1998, Siziba, through his firm Hawkhope Investments purchased the entire share capital of Danckwerts’ two firms trading as Nyland Enterprises and Great-Insight Investments. Both firms fell under Danckwerts’ holding company Danbro Holdings.
On August 25, 1999, it is alleged Danckwerts together with one Paul Rijk Peacey resigned as directors of the two firms leading to Siziba together with Margret Siziba and Bernadette Sekai Veteranwa assuming control of the two firms as the new directors.
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However, sometime between 2011 and 2012, Danckwerts turned against Siziba and caused his arrest accusing him of stealing his firms.
But police investigations revealed that Danckwerts had allegedly submitted a fraudulent form to the Registrar of Companies between February 2011 and May 2012 purporting to be still a director of the firms at the centre of the controversy.
However, the trial failed to kick off yesterday after Danckwerts’ lawyer Tafadzwa Hungwe applied for a postponement which was granted by regional magistrate Sandra Mupindu.
The matter was remanded to Thursday next week with the consent of the State represented by prosecutor Michael Reza.
