BRETTON Motors managing director Allen Chazura Mbazima appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Monday this week charged with swindling 12 civil servants of over $12 000 in a botched car imports deal.
SENIOR COURT REPORTER
More than 12 prospective vehicle owners reported Mbazima to the police after efforts to get their promised vehicles within the specified period of time hit a snag.
Harare-based Bretton Motors is in the business of importing second-hand vehicles from overseas on behalf of local buyers. Allegations against Mbazima are that sometime in December 2011, he hatched a plan to defraud potential motor vehicle buyers by placing advertisements in local newspapers.
He is also alleged to have approached Zimbabwe National Army brigadiers at their offices and persuaded them to join his scheme which he claimed was tailor-made to suit civil servants who intended to import vehicles.
The State alleges Mbazima lied that he would import the said vehicles from Japan, which has become the biggest supplier of used vehicles in the country.
Between the period extending from July 2012 to October last year, Mbazima allegedly collected various amounts from several people ranging from $790 to $1 850 as deposits for the imported cars.
The difference in amounts paid as deposits differed according to the makes of the vehicles such as Toyota Spacio, Toyota Ipsum and Toyota Corolla among other models. Some of the victims who fell prey to Mbazima’s alleged misrepresentations were Joe Scot, Gandiwa John and Saverio Garikayi Mupondi.
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According to the agreements of sale signed between Mbazima and the buyers, the cars were supposed to be delivered within six weeks from the date of payment of the initial deposit.
However, the cars were never delivered as per the agreements and instead the court heard Mbazima closed his offices and became evasive, prompting the complainants to report him to the police leading to his arrest.
All the complainants were allegedly prejudiced in the sum of $12 212.
