An Indian national accused swindling foreign currency
dealers of US$765 000 is now claiming that he was kidnapped, bundled into a car
boot and driven to an unknown place where he was assaulted. Munir Kamruddin
Kazi (45), who appeared in court for fraud last week, filed a report against
the foreign currency dealers of kidnapping, malicious damage to property,
assault and pointing a firearm at him.
Kazi said he was kidnapped from his office and bundled into
the boot of one of the dealers’ cars in a movie- style kidnap drama. He claimed
the forex dealers drove to an unknown place where they assaulted him.
Kazi said after the assault, the dealers returned to his
office where they damaged his property. The matter has since been referred to
CID Homicide as it involved the use of a firearm.
Kazi and Shingirai Levison Muringi (28) appeared before
Harare magistrate Mr Learnmore Mapiye charged with fraud last week.
They were released on $10 000 bail with stringent
conditions to report twice a week to Commercial Crimes Division, surrender
their passports, continue residing at their given addresses and not interfere
with witnesses. They were remanded to December 7.
Kazi is unemployed, while Muringi is a director at Paradigm
Shift Communications.
The State alleged that on October 28, Muringi approached
Kazi, who was looking for United States dollars in exchange for bank transfer.
The court heard that Kazi roped in money changers Charles
Nyamunda Jounet, Codwell Muhoni, Wisdom Hodzi, Rodney Makarutsa, Benard
Nyangoni, Nyevero Chibisa, Tinashe Kadzunge and Henry Abraham, who gave him
amounts varying from US$28 000 to US$349 000.
That same day, Jounet, Hodzi and Makarutsa accompanied
Muringi to a house in Avondale where they were introduced to Andre Hoffman, who
is still at large.
Hoffman allegedly indicated that his principal, Kazi, would
transfer the equivalent of US dollars that the money changers had offered them
into their bank accounts.
It was alleged that Jounet then handed over the total of
US$765 000 to Kazi and Hoffman in exchange for $17 212 500. The complainants
were told that the transfer was being processed and around 6pm Kazi sent
fictitious proof of payments allegedly from a local bank, prompting the money
changers to leave the place satisfied that they had received their money.
After realising that the funds had not reflected in their
respective bank accounts, the money changers made enquiries with their banks
and realised that the transfers were made from an unfunded account. Herald
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