A CONSTRUCTION company, belonging to a Harare couple, was yesterday arraigned before the Harare Magistrates Courts facing three counts of fraud involving to US$930 000 after failing to fulfil a contract to build Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s wife Miniyothabo’s double-storey house.
Gray Homes Construction Company, represented by Gray and Annavestah Mudiwa, appeared before Harare magistrate Donald Ndirowei.
The matter was remanded to today for bail application.
The complainant is Miniyothabo Francisca Baloyi Chiwenga (48), who is a colonel in the Zimbabwe National Army.
Prosecutor Tafara Chirambira alleged that sometime last year, the couple duped Chiwenga into believing that it could construct a double-storey house, a cottage and a perimeter wall for her.
It allegedly misrepresented that it would complete the project in 90 days and Chiwenga paid its company US$560 000.
After receiving the funds, the couple allegedly diverted some of the money to its own use and failed to complete the project and Chiwenga suffered prejudice of US$389 100.
In another count, the couple, sometime last year, allegedly misled Chiwenga into believing that it was able to construct a warehouse at Chivaraidze Farm in Goromonzi, knowing full well that it had no capacity to do the project.
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Acting on the misrepresentation, Chiwenga paid the couple US$550 000, but its company failed to complete the project after allegedly squandering US$390 000.
Chirambira further alleged that in September last year, the couple also convinced Chiwenga that it could construct a shopping mall at Silalatshani business centre in Filabusi and she paid it US$158 000.
The court heard that the couple allegedly diverted US$151 000.
