HARARE magistrate Douglas Chikwekwe yesterday set April 28 as the trial date for suspected fraudster Energy Mutodi, who is facing allegations of swindling unsuspecting home seekers of cash amounting to $6 million.
BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI SENIOR REPORTER
The musician-cum-businessman, who is facing similar charges in Mutare where he is alleged to have duped home-seekers of close to $2 million, is currently out of custody on $2 000 bail.
Mutodi is alleged to have fleeced 16 000 civil servants on the strength of promises that his housing scheme would benefit them.
Sometime in 2006, Mutodi and his colleagues formed National Housing Delivery Trust and it was agreed that it would appoint trustees that would constitute a board with Mutodi as chairperson. They registered a notarial deed of trust.
The purported objective of the trust was to acquire land in urban areas and towns, and service it for residential purposes for clients or members. However, it is alleged Mutodi knew that the trust was created as a vehicle to fleece money from home-seekers.
Allegations are that a Kingdom Bank trust account was opened and Mutodi was a signatory. The trust account was meant to secure all contributions from members in the trust and the funds would be used to procure land, service it and build houses for clients under different schemes.
Deduction orders were given to the Salary Service Bureau (SSB) for civil servants who had joined the trust. It is alleged Mutodi went on to change the account signing arrangement, made himself sole signatory and signed for all the transactions.
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A total of $6 031 011 was deducted through SSB and channelled to a Kingdom Bank account. Mutodi allegedly withdrew all the money and used it for other purposes.
