A HARARE businessman, Arthur Chikukwa, was last weekend convicted of fraud and money laundering for swindling a prospective coal miner of over $2,7 million in a botched mining deal, by High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi.
BY CHARLES LAITON
The businessman is now set to be sentenced on Monday after he successfully pleaded with the court to allow him time to pay compensation before the pronouncement of the sentence.
Chikukwa’s efforts to convince the court that the matter was a civil one failed to yield results, as the judge concluded it was a criminal issue.
In mitigation, through his lawyer, Chikukwa said he would surrender house number 30 Stonechat Lane, Borrowdale in Harare, a Toyota Prado, a Toyota Lexus and $125 000 cash to the complainant, Salim Suleman Desai of Lightglass Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd.
Justice Chitapi granted the application for postponement of sentencing, urging Chikukwa to make good his reimbursement plea, so as to enable the court to consider the position before determining the sentence.
Circumstances leading to Chikukwa’s conviction were that sometime in 2014, he misrepresented to Desai that he was selling his coal-mining concession in Tuli, Matabeleland South province, held under Special Grant number 5341 called Rockrabbit Investments (Pvt) Ltd.
The court heard between July 2014 and December 2015, the parties sealed the deal, culminating in Desai giving Chikukwa house number 30 Stonechat Lane, Borrowdale in Harare, a Toyota Prado, a Toyota Lexus and $125 000, with the hope the latter would fulfil the agreement.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Prosecutor Tapiwa Kasema told the court that when Chikukwa made the said misrepresentations, he knew he had not obtained authority to sell the said special grant to Lightglass.
Kasema also told the court that when Chikukwa made the decision to sell the special grant to Desai, he acted fraudulently by “ceding or assigning any rights without authority from the President of Zimbabwe”.
In respect of the money-laundering charge, the State presented that during the same period, Chikukwa received, possessed, concealed and disposed of the two motor vehicles, cash and a residential stand knowing or suspecting that, at the time of receipt of such property, the said money and goods were proceeds of crime.
