The company was charged together with director Tichatonga
Mudzonga and consultant Eve Tsvangira who appeared before a Harare magistrate
and were released on US$200 bail each.
They were remanded to January 27.
Allegations are that
sometime in February this year, the complainant who is not named in court
papers saw an advertisement of Five Bulls Leisure on Facebook stating that the
company was a registered leisure and travel agency which offers booking
services for cruise ship, air tickets, hotels and airport transfers for holiday
cruise bookings in Durban, South Africa.
The complainant went to Five Bulls Leisure offices at
number 176 Longcheng Plaza, Belvedere, Harare and was attended by Mudzonga and
Tsvangira who confirmed that they offer the advertised services.
The complainant wanted to book a package of eight people to
cruise from Durban, South Africa via Mozambique to Japan.
The accused persons
gave her a quotation amounting to US$12 377 which was a package for eight
people for the cruise and another quotation of US$4 987 for the air tickets.
It is alleged that during the period between February and September, the complainant paid a total
amount of US$ 17 364 in six instalments and the money was received by Mudzonga
who issued her with receipts in the name of Five Bulls Leisure and assured her
that the cruise ship bookings will be made with MSC Cruise Ship Company.
On September 28, the complainant approached Tsvangira
enquiring about the bookings and she referred the complainant to Mudzonga the
director who she referred to as her employer.
The complainant approached Mudzonga who indicated to her
that they had successfully booked with MSC Cruise Ship Company and promised to
supply the complainant with confirmation tickets and proof of payment.
The complainant and her family were supposed to leave for
the holiday on December 23.
The complainant made a follow-up on the tickets and was
only given air tickets valued at US$4 986 and was never given any confirmation
tickets of the bookings made at MSC Cruise Ship Company.
The complainant was not satisfied with the answers she got
from the accused persons and enquired on her own from MSC Cruise Ship Company
and the company confirmed that they were bookings for some members on the
complainant's package which were made by Mudzonga but payment was not made
resulting in cancellation of the bookings.
Some of the people in the complainant's package were never booked at all. MSC Cruise Ship Company also told the complainant that it had closed bookings on November 20.
The accused persons did not pay for the bookings and
converted the money to their own use.
The accused became evasive, prompting the complainant to make a police report. The complainant suffered prejudice of US$17 364.
Total value recovered is US$ 4 987. Newsday
