It is believed that the Ponzi scheme cost investors more
than US$1 million.
Jiaotong, Trymore Tapfumaneyi and Justin Kuchekenya
appeared in court yesterday where the investigating officer, Brighton Samaneka,
testified against granting bail.
The trio appeared before Harare magistrate Marewanazvo
Gofa.
Samaneka, who boasts of 23 years as a cop, told the court
that Jiaotong operated 50 Ecocash sim cards, which were used to scam thousands
of subscribers.
He urged the court to deny them bail as he believed
Jiaotong to be a flight risk.
The court also heard that Jiaotong was the brainchild of
the scheme, although his name does not appear as a director on the company’s
paperwork.
“Subscribers were sending the money via Ecocash to over 50
numbers that were being operated by Jiaotong.
“He was the brainchild of the E-Creator scam. He came into
the country on February 3 and on February 7, Tapfumaneyi and Kuchekenya
registered the company, each with a 50 percent shareholding,” said Samaneka.
In opposing bail, Samaneka said Jiaotong was a high flight
risk.
“As the investigating officer in this matter, I’m strongly
opposed to the granting of bail.
“I’m alive to the fact that bail is a right unless there
are compelling reasons.
“I believe Zhao is a flight risk, I can submit with
authority that he is a high flight risk because when he was arrested on 12
July, he was on the verge of skipping the country.
“It’s apparent that his intention was to place himself
beyond the jurisdiction of this court.”
He added: “We managed to seize a stamped passport and
boarding passes from him and that alone is clear testimony that we are dealing
with an accused person who’s a high flight risk.
“The passport was seized when he was about to board a plane
at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport and that was going to be the end
of this case.
“The court should bear in mind that he’s still sitting on
fraudulently obtained money which gives him the capacity to do anything at any
time.”
Samaneka also said it was in the best interest of
Tapfumaneyi and Kuchekenya to remain in custody because the people they had
allegedly duped were furious and determined to seek revenge.
The State submitted that Jiaotong, Tapfunaneyi, Kuchekenya
and their accomplices, Billy Thomas Syedou, Abraham Mutambu and others still at
large, registered E-Creator Economic Commerce Private Limited in February as an
online e-commerce operator.
They went on to dupe people, saying investors would enjoy
monthly returns depending on the mounts invested.
Thousands of Zimbabweans flocked to join the scheme,
investing up to US$1 000 via Ecocash, on the numbers provided by E-Creator.
In addition to appointing brand ambassadors, Madam Boss and
Mama Vee, they also employed various agents in major towns and cities
countrywide to market their business.
On July 3, some of the subscribers encountered challenges
in accessing their funds and approached the company for clarification.
A member of the syndicate, Mutambu, told them that it was a
system upgrade affecting access to their funds.
He further assured them that the situation would normalise in due
course.
On July 5, subscribers were shocked to find that E-Creator
had actually published a notice on its website indicating that it was no longer
operating, and posted a picture of Jiaotong, saying he had taken their money
and absconded to China.
Subscribers went to E-Creator’s Joina City offices and
found it locked.
The bail hearing continues today. H Metro
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