HARARE - A transport dealer has appeared before a Harare magistrate for allegedly using a fake name and vehicle registration numbers to swindle a shipping company of $200 000 worth of cotton lint before attempting to bribe cops.

Tonderai Ngoshi, 22, who is the director of Ngoshi Transport, yesterday appeared before magistrate Tendai Mahwe on a bribery charge and two counts of fraud. He is jointly charged with Joseph Zacharia (42) and Munyaradzi Hanyani (34).

The court heard that the trio teamed up with two other men who are still at large in their bid to defraud UTI Zimbabwe on December 21 last year.

It is alleged Ngoshi supplied UTI with a truck, which had false registration plates. The court heard the trio proceeded to Chinhoyi where they loaded 121 bales of cotton lint, which they were supposed to deliver to South Africa.

The three allegedly took the cotton lint to Waterfalls, Harare, intending to sell it to potential buyers.
On December, 28, last year, the court heard Zacharia and Hanyani went to Kadoma where they loaded 130 bales of cotton lint and Zacharia was using the name Andrew Phiri.

The court heard the duo then took the cotton lint to Waterfalls, where they were arrested by police officers working on a tip-off.

After their arrest, the court heard Ngoshi attempted to bribe the cops with $1 500 for the release of the cotton bales and his impounded trucks.

The trio will be back in court today for bail ruling. - Tendai Kamhungira