A 28-year-old man yesterday appeared in court on allegations of duping businessman Phillip Chiyangwa’s daughter, Cherish Natasha Chiyangwa through a business partner, of £18 000 in a botched mining investment deal.
Willard Munyaradzi Kachere denied the charges when he appeared before magistrate Mrs Judith Taruvinga charged with fraud.
Kachere told the court that he did not enter into any agreement with Cherish and that the money which is alleged to have been sent to him had been send through Jamie Farai Muswibe and did not amount to £18 310.
“He entered into a business transaction with Jamie Farai Muswibe wherein they shared all the risks, profits and losses associated with running a business enterprise.
“He advised Jamie Farai Muswibe and his agents that he had defrauded the business funds which he and Jamie Muswibe had invested into the business.
“He has been making serious efforts to ensure that the funds he has been defrauded were recovered as well as trying to make due to Muswibe since he was the one in custody of the funds,” said Kachere through his lawyers.
Chiyangwa, in her testimony, told the court that Kachere approached her seeking US$20 000 as capital which was to be invested in mining. She said Kachere promised her that they would earn US$2 000 in monthly profits.
Mr Tapiwanashe Zvidzai, prosecuting, said that sometime in April last year Kachere approached Chiyangwa saying he wanted partners to invest in the mining business.
It is said that Kachere told Chiyangwa that if she invested US$20 000 in the deal, they would get US$2 000 in profits every month.
The court heard that Chiyangwa then engaged her business partner Muswibe, who then sent Kachere 18 310 pounds through World Remit. Kachere allegedly received the money. It is said that Kachere failed to give Chiyangwa the promised monthly profits, which prompted Muswibe to return into the country to establish why he was failing to remit the profits as agreed.
Kachere is expected to be back in court on October 4 for trial continuation.
