HARARE - A casket-making company director who allegedly swindled Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church’s accountant of $170 000 has appeared before a Harare magistrate.

Alphius Chikazhe, 34, who is the director of Fuji Caskets was yesterday arraigned before magistrate Anita Tshuma on fraud charges.

He is jointly charged with Martha Maureen Munotyaani, 29.

The court heard that in June this year Chikazhe and Munotyaani together with Harold Chunga and Stanely Chirwa who are still at large defrauded Canaan Bova, an accountant based in Blantyre, Malawi.

Chikazhe allegedly informed Bova’s business partner, Tendai Chawasema that he had an order from Allied Agricultural Commodities Private Limited (AAC) to supply them with sugar beans.

According to state papers, Chikazhe and Munotyaani went to Blantyre, Malawi on June 9 on a business trip.

The duo allegedly presented the purported order of 150 tonnes of sugar beans on AAC letterhead to Chawasema. They further indicated that the company was prepared to pay $210 000 cash for the beans.

Bova, allegedly gave Chawasema $170 000 to source for the beans in Malawi on July 2 and he managed to get 120 tonnes.

Prosecutor Tungamirai Chakurira told the court that Bova transported the beans from Malawi to Zimbabwe. The beans were taken to a warehouse in Workington Industrial Area in Harare where Chikazhe and Munotyaani misrepresented the consignment belonged to them.

According to state papers, the duo did not pay for the beans.

Magistrate Tshuma remanded the two out of custody to October 15 on $200 bail each.

As part of their bail conditions, the two were ordered to reside at their given addresses, surrender their passports and to report every Monday to the police.

Out of the $170 000 lost by Bova nothing was recovered. - Ivan Zhakata