A SOUTH AFRICAN man with three names, Peter Coetzee, Van Tinder Vikus, and Johannes Jacobus Cornelius Naude yesterday appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court facing charges of duping local gold dealers of US$154 000.
Naude (54) of Pretoria, who was represented by lawyer Lucky Mauwa, was arraigned before magistrate Taurai Manuwere who remanded him in custody to Wednesday for bail application.
It is alleged that in the first count Naude approached one of the complainants, Gift Kudakwashe Mineji who is a miner at Pisto Mine, Kwekwe claiming that he was an investor and swindled them of money.
He later approached another complainant, Simba Dumbura, a gold miner at S and J Mining Syndicate, Penhalonga, Mutare and duped him of some money using the same modus operandi.
The complainants lost US$154 000 to Naude and his accomplices only identified as Tanaka and Ruth, who are still at large.
On October 19, detectives heard that Naude was in Harare and they lured him to Glen Lorne, Harare under the pretext that they wanted to carry out a gold-buying transaction.
He was then arrested, but his accomplices, Tanaka and Ruth fled.
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