Company director up for US$170k fraud
SHINGAI Levison Muringi, the director of a fuel firm, The Last King (Pvt) Ltd, has appeared in court for allegedly defrauding another fuel company of US$170 000 after he allegedly received 120 000 litres of fuel and made a fake bank payment.
Muringi (32), who initially appeared in court on Saturday, through his lawyers Stephen Chikotora and Mr Claude Bare, challenged placement on remand.
Prosecutor Ms Vimbiso Rundare opposed submissions by Muringi’s lawyers, arguing that the State had reasonable suspicion that he committed the offence, hence should be placed on remand.
Presiding regional magistrate, Mr Lazini Ncube, after hearing submissions from both parties, dismissed the application of challenging the placement on remand.
Muringi returns to court today for bail application.
Ms Rundare is alleging that on April 20, Muringi misrepresented to the complainant, a fuel company, that he wanted to buy 120 000 litres of bulk fuel amounting to US$170 000 and promised to pay upon delivery.
Acting upon the misrepresentation, the company then delivered 120 000 litres of fuel to Muringi.
After receiving the fuel, he failed to pay the agreed amount, and allegedly then sold the fuel and bought a Toyota Fortuner registration number AFE 0018.
The court heard that on April 27, Muringi sent two fake proof of payments with a face value of US$125 000, purporting that he transferred US$70 200 from an NMB account to the company’s Stanbic account and US$54 800 from the same NMB account to the complainant’s Stanbic account.
Complainant later checked the authenticity of the proof of payments and found that they were fake.
Due to Muringi’s misrepresentation the complainant suffered prejudice to the tune of US$170 000 and nothing was recovered.